Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Mar 27

CSi Weather…

.REST OF TODAY…Cloudy in the morning then clearing. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs around 50. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph.

.TONIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows in the upper 20s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. North winds

5 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. North

winds 10 to 15 mph.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. North winds 5 to

10 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 30.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain in the afternoon.

Highs in the upper 50s.

MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain.

Lows in the upper 30s.

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of rain. Highs

in the mid 50s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain in the

evening, then slight chance of rain and snow after midnight. Lows

around 30. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of snow possibly

mixed with rain in the morning. Highs in the mid 40s.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain and

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs around 40.

Slight chances for rain mainly central Monday night through Tuesday. Highs are forecast to continue in the upper 50s to lower 60s Monday and Tuesday.

 

Latest webcams and observations indicate patchy dense fog this
morning across far south central through the southern James River
Valley. Emergency management reported near zero visibility at
Ellendale. Some cities that will encounter patchy dense fog include
Linton, Napoleon, Wishek, Edgeley, Ellendale, and Oakes. Remember
to use your low beam headlights and be prepared for rapidly
changing visibility, as low as one quarter mile at times. The fog
is expected to lift and dissipate through the morning.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has a sobering message to people who are complaining that some of the counties identified with patients who have contracted the coronavirus aren’t accurate. He says COVID-19 is coming to your county. Those words came after Burgum noted the largest daily count of cases since the March 11 announcement that the state had its first confirmed diagnosis.

Jamestown  (CSi)  Central Valley Health District will hold another News Briefing on the local COVID-19 response, on Friday March 27, 2020 at 2:30-p.m.  The briefing will be seen on CSi Cable 67, followed by replays.

Only local media agencies are invited, City Hall access to the public is not allowed.

Scheduled to speak:   Central Valley Health District, Jamestown Regional Medical Center, Sanford Health, Buffalo Bridges Human Service Zone (day care), Eventide Jamestown, Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, Job Service ND, City of Jamestown.

 

Jamestown (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council’s Finance & Legal Committee

Building, Planning & Zoning Committee  Civic Center & Promotion Committee

Police & Fire Committee  Public Works Committee met in joint session on Thursday at City Hall.

POLICE & FIRE COMMITTEE

The Fire department ladder truck  update was given including the presentation  of a $25,000 check toward the purchase by the Volunteer Firefighters Association, proceeds from the annual pancake feed. Fire Chief Jim Reuther said the JBROS flea market raised $1,000 over two days, from customer donations.  Farmers Union Insurance also donated $10,000.

 

INFORMATIONAL: The second readings of Ordinances ( No. 1524, 1525, 1526, 1527, 1528 and 1519) “housekeeping,” measures are scheduled for the April 6, 2020, City Council meeting.

A motion was made introducing the first reading of an ordinance to amend and re-enact Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Jamestown pertaining to residency qualification for city employees.

BUILDING, PLANNING & ZONING COMMITTEE:

Recommended  was approving  the request from Anne Carlsen Center for a special use permit for a building to be located on property east of the Jamestown Regional Medical Center, consisting of 103,000 square feet.

It was questioned if a potential I-94 overpass may impinge on the land for a corridor,in the future which will be researched. Engineer Travis Dillman doesn’t feel there will be  a problem being on the opposite side of any overpass.

The committee recommends approving the request from Fort Seward Reconstruction Board for a special use permit to operate a campground on Lots 3-6, plus ½ vacated alley, Block 44, Capitol Hill Addition, on the condition of an approved revised license agreement.

CIVIC CENTER AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE

The committee recommended  the Jamestown Tourism request for funds to repair/paint the Buffalo Monument to be funded by the Jamestown Tourism Capital Improvement Fund (Buffalo City Tourism Fund).

A $1,500 figure was presented from a contractor for masonry work.  Paint left over from a previous project will used.  Tourism Director Searle Swedlund also said a full painting project is anticipated in the future.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

Recommended for approval was the plans and specifications and authorize the advertisement for bids for Seal Coat, Patching, Construction & Reconstruction District #20-41.  The project is estimated to cost about $1.5 million.

Consideration of the emergency protection policy for the City of Jamestown was forwarded to the June Public Works Committee meeting.

The committee recommends the City Council approve the bid award on the SRTS (The safe routes to schools Project) to LD Concrete, in the amount of $389,146.55, pending ND DOT concurrence.

City Engineer project updates were given.

Recycling collection update, and Garbage collection updates were given to the committee but not discussed.

Recommended for approval is a  Change Order No. 1, to Braun Intertec, on Jamestown Sanitary Landfill SW-213, Tier 2 Sampling Project, Title V Air Quality Permit, CWSRF Project No. 380808-08.

FINANCE & LEGAL COMMITTEE:

The City Council proclaimed April, 2020, as Fair Housing Month and urge all citizens to understand and exercise their right to equal housing opportunity

Separately, Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich has proclaimed March 31, 2020 as Equal Pay Day in Jamestown.  Equal Pay Day is the day that symbolizes when the typical woman working full time in the United States catches up to what a man was paid the previous year.

The committee recommends  the application for Renaissance Zone Incentives for up to a five (5) year, one hundred percent (100%) state income tax exemption and a one hundred (100%) five (5) year property tax exemption for Kevin D. & Colleen S. Koehn, (202 Lindwood Drive) pending approval by the State of North Dakota Department of Community Services.

The committee recommended approving the request by owners Richard and Lillian Dixon to deem unbuildable the parcel number 74-5621200 being underwater, and waive all special assessments in the amounts of $11,431.13 for the 2017 NW Watermain Replacement Project 17-61, $363.03 for the 15-41 project, and $11.81 for the 2007 Quiet Zone project, such costs to be paid by the City’s Special Assessment Deficiency Fund. The motion to approve, died for the lack of a second.

Considered was the JSDC request to pay the JSDC’s share of legal fees incurred by SEPA for the ND Soy vs SEPA lawsuit. The JSDC share through Feb 20, 2020 is $108,314.41. This does not include the GRE share of legal fees.   JSDC CEO Connie Ova explained that JSDC had approved and requests up to $110,000 total, with the City’s share being $99,000 (90% City, 10% County), to be funded through the JSDC’s share of City Sales Tax Fund.   Connie backgrounded the past history of the lawsuit, and expenses incurred by each entity.   The committee recommends approval.

The committee recommends for approval was the JSDC request to support Workforce Recruitment and fund the Career Builders (Loan Repayment) Reimbursement Program at $100,000 with the 80/20 City/County split, $80,000 being the City’s share, to be funded through the City Sales Tax Fund.

INFORMATIONAL:  An update was given on Eagle Flats Apartments project update, by City Attorney Leo Ryan, who said the projects paperwork was moving forward.

INFORMATIONAL: The appointments to the Forestry Committee (1 at-large member open position and the NDSU member position) are scheduled at the April 6, 2020, City Council meeting.

The committee discussed a temporary moratorium  on the retail sale of alcoholic beverages.

City Attorney Leo Ryan is looking at language and amendments, in the draft, the item was moved to the Special City Council meeting agenda.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67, followed by replays.

Jamestown  (CSi)   The Jamestown City Council met in Special Session Thursday at 5-p.m., Council Member Buchanan attended by phone.

The Council approved a Finance and Legal Committee recommendation, a temporary moratorium  on the retail sale of alcoholic beverages.

The action clears the way allowing alcohol sales with prepared  food from on sale restaurants.

The moratorium ends on May 4 unless extended by the Jamestown City Council.

A restaurant that has a valid alcohol license is able to  sell sealed bottles or cans of alcoholic beverages with meals it is delivering or providing for people to take home.

The moratorium requires delivery to be done by an “agent or employee” of the restaurant or package store. The employee and establishment would still be responsible for verifying the age of the person purchasing the items.

The City Council then approved the plans and specifications and to authorize the advertisement for bids for 2020 Seal Coat, Patching, Construction and Reconstruction District No. 20-41, the seven year rotational project this year

Council Member Phillips reminds residents to participate in the 2020 census sooner than later, by mail or phone.

Mayor Heinrich thanked citizens for conforming with changes and restrictions and social distancing with the COVID-19 Pandemic.  He urges all residents to continue, which will help slow the spread of the virus.

The meeting was shown live on CSi 67, followed by replays.

 

Valley City   On March 25, 2020, Valley City Mayor Dave Carlsrud issued two emergency orders to take immediate effect on Thursday, March 26.

Both orders were issued pursuant to the COVID-19 state of emergency declared by the Mayor earlier this month, and are believed necessary to promote social distancing, discourage unnecessary travel, and limit exposure of Valley City residents to the COVID-19 virus.  The orders will also assist local businesses that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic.

Under Emergency Order 2020-01, all transient/temporary merchant activity must cease for a period of 30 days.  The general penalty established by Valley City Municipal Code for any violation of a city ordinance is a fine of up to $1,500 and/or up to 30 days in jail.

Under Emergency Order 2020-02, the holder of a Valley City alcoholic beverage license will be permitted to serve beer and wine by curbside or home delivery, subject to certain restrictions depending on the class of license.  Licensees are encouraged to contact City Hall for clarification of their rights and responsibilities under the emergency order.  All federal, state, and local laws pertaining to delivery of alcohol including but not limited to delivery to minors, server training, and age identification requirements, remain in effect.

All city commission meetings, planning meetings, and the annual tax equalization meeting, are scheduled to be held electronically unless and until the state of emergency has been lifted.  These meetings will continue to be broadcast CSi Cable channel 68.  A public access phone line will be available and published in the near future.  Requests to listen to the electronic meeting in the commission chambers should be made in advance by calling 701-845-1700.  If you are preparing documents to present at any city meeting please call for instructions on how to submit electronically, or mail to PO Box 390, Valley City, North Dakota, 58072.  There will also be a dropbox at the north entrance of City Hall during regular business hours, 8:00AM – 5:00PM.

Individual and community efforts to help slow the spread of COVID-19 are greatly appreciated and the most effective tools in reducing local transmission.  Continue to keep your distance, wash your hands, limit travel and maintain healthy business operations and work environments.

 

Jamestown  (AAUW)  Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich proclaimed March 31, 2020 as Equal Pay Day in Jamestown. Equal Pay Day is the day that symbolizes when the typical woman working full time in the United States catches up to what a man was paid the previous year.

Submitted Photo

According to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ND women working full time, year-round in 2018 typically earned 73.9 percent of what men earned, indicating little change or progress in pay equity in the past 50 years.   That ranks North Dakota as 47^th in the nation as having the largest pay gap for women.

Nationally, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the report shows that in 2018, women in the U.S. received just 82 cents for every dollar paid to a man.  Women of color often face a wider gap: Compared to white men, Black women make 62 cents on the dollar, and Latinas make 54 cents on the dollar.

Jamestown AAUW President, Debbie Alber, says, “The Jamestown AAUW organization has been working to try to close that pay gap.  Jamestown AAUW has been involved in educating young women about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math with the annual Tech Savvy event that is held in March at the University of Jamestown. Careers in STEM occupations are typically well paid and male dominated, with the national average salary for these jobs sitting at $87,000.  Tech Savvy is trying to change that demographic.”

At the current rate, the gender pay gap will not close until 2106. In 2018, AAUW announced a bold pledge to train 10 million women in salary negotiation by 2022.  Jamestown AAUW had to cancel a Work Smart Salary Negotiation Training in Jamestown that was scheduled for April 2 due to the pandemic, but will reschedule it sometime in the future.

AAUW will not wait for policies and employer culture alone to determine when we reach parity. AAUW members are working to empower women nation-wide with skills to effectively negotiate their salary and benefits and become agents of change in their communities.  Please consider celebrating Jamestown’s Equal Pay Day by taking the free online Work Smart course at https://salary.aauw.org/ and continue to urge your legislators to make improvements to ND equal pay laws so that fair pay is an accessible reality for everyone.

Bismarck – The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) chose Dr. Douglas Jensen as the seventh president of Bismarck State College. He will begin his position on July 1, 2020 following the June 30 retirement of current president Dr. Larry C. Skogen.

The board interviewed three finalists at their meeting on March 26. The meeting, as well as the interviews, were held remotely and livestreamed following state and federal recommendations for distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Jensen comes from Rock Valley College (RVC) in Rockford, Ill., where he has been president since 2016. Before arriving at RVC, Dr. Jensen served as president for the Alabama Technology Network (ATN) in the Alabama Community College System, and Vice President of Economic Development/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) for Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood, Pa. He worked at Northcentral Wisconsin Technical College in Wausau, Wis., as the Chief Academic Officer, at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wis., and Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pa. Dr. Jensen received a Doctorate of Education from Edgewood College in Madison, Wis.

Bismarck  (CSi)  — North Dakota  Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread has submitted 380 signatures from qualified electors throughout North Dakota to the Secretary of State’s office.  Once the petition signatures are certified, Godfread will officially be placed on the June 9, 2020, Primary ballot as a candidate for Insurance Commissioner. The statutory requirement for ballot access in North Dakota is 300 signatures.

Godfread says,”I’m humbled by the outpouring of support from friends and neighbors across the state, who rallied during this challenging time to safely collect signatures on my behalf in just one week.  We are pleased to be headed to the election in June and look forward to the campaign.”

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has law enforcement agencies and emergency responders in North Dakota taking steps to keep themselves and the people they serve safe. Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben says jail programs and in-person visitation have been cut and the usual face-to-face attorney visits are now done behind glass. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has suspended all contact visitation at its facilities. And, the Bismarck Tribune says the Mandan Police Department is pushing officers and staff to wipe down squad cars and work areas, limit the number of people that respond to a call and try to handle minor calls over the phone.

 

In sports…

Class B Boy’s Basketball All-State Team

FIRST TEAM

*Carson Henningsgard, 6-2 senior point guard, Hillsboro-Central Valley

Jaden Mitzel, 6-2 senior forward, Shiloh Christian

Cole Myers, 6-3 senior guard/forward, Richland

Seth Nelson, 6-4 senior forward, Carrington

Jaden Hamilton, 6-7 senior forward, Rugby

*Denote unanimous selection

SECOND TEAM

Bo Belquist, 6-0 senior point guard, New Rockford-Sheyenne

Lucas Schumacher, 6-2 junior forward, Linton-HMB

Joe Hurlburt, 6-10 sophomore forward/center, Enderlin

Gage Swanson, 6-2 senior guard/forward, Beach

Jesse White, 5-11 junior guard/forward, White Shield

Doug Yankton, 6-4 senior guard/forward, Four Winds-Minnewaukan

Trey Brandt, 6-0 sophomore guard, Beulah

Avery Thorsgard, 6-2 senior guard, Hatton-Northwood

Scott Wagner, 6-7 sophomore center, Ellendale

Andy Freier, 6-3 senior guard, Kindred

Rhett Hanson, 6-6 senior forward/center, Stanley

 

Sports….Coronavirus  Effects, updates..

UNDATED (AP) — The Brickyard will be silent Memorial Day weekend.

The Indianapolis 500 scheduled for May 24 has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It will be the first time since 1946 that the race won’t be run on Memorial Day weekend.

IndyCar initially said it would resume racing May 9 on the road course at Indianapolis. That race will now be run on July 4, a day before NASCAR races at The Brickyard. The Indy 500 will be moved to Aug. 23.

In other outbreak-related developments:

— The company that manufactures uniforms for Major League Baseball has suspended production on jerseys and is instead using the polyester mesh fabric to make masks and gowns for hospitals in Pennsylvania and nearby states. Fanatics founder and executive chairman was watching TV last week when he was struck by the idea to turn the 360,000-square foot facility in Easton, Pennsylvania, into a factory for the COVID-19 virus fight. St. Luke’s Hospital in nearby Bethlehem reached out to Fanatics late last week about the possibility of the company manufacturing masks.

— Hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer has shifted from making visors for helmets to medical visors for those fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Bauer faced the possibility of closing its manufacturing plant in Blainville, Quebec, when hockey came to a halt amid the global pandemic. But engineers there instead brainstormed the idea of producing medical shields to help protect people on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

— A person with knowledge of the details tells The Associated Press that top NBA executives are having their base salaries reduced by 20% for the foreseeable future. The reductions affect the roughly 100 highest-earning executives, as the NBA joins the NHL and NASCAR in cutting salaries while competitions are on hold because of the coronavirus. The cuts are effective immediately and affect NBA employees both inside the league headquarters in New York and in global offices.

— Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano says he has tested positive for the coronavirus and will be in quarantine for two weeks. Castellano tested positive as part of a physical that officials at Gulfstream Park mandated as a prerequisite before being cleared to ride in Saturday’s Florida Derby. Castellano says that he has not had “known contact with anyone that has tested positive.” Castellano last rode on March 15, when he had two mounts at Gulfstream.

— New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees says he and his wife, Brittany, are donating $5 million to help Louisiana businesses and communities contend with challenges brought on by the coronavirus outbreak in the state. Brees posted his pledge on a social media account and says the money will help several restaurants in which he has an ownership stake as well as a major hospital chain and charities that deliver meals to people in need.

— The Green Bay Packers have extended the closure of Lambeau Field through at least April 24 to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus after Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued a “safer at home” order through that date. Packers officials said the closure would continue until that order expires or until a superseding order is issued. Packers officials say Lambeau Field and Titletown will only have essential personnel in place for non-public operations of the facilities.

— Former President Barack Obama was among more than 50,000 viewers who logged onto a coronavirus discussion between Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. When Curry asked when it might be time to start thinking about sports again, Fauci responded, “when the country as a whole has turned that corner,” and the curve that shows how the virus is still spreading nationally starts coming down.

— The Colorado Avalanche say one of their players has recovered after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. The player was at home in isolation since the symptoms first appeared. The team says anyone who was known to have had close contact with the player has been notified. The Avs issued a statement saying they continue to work in conjunction with their medical staff and public health officials to do everything they can to help the Avalanche community remain safe and healthy during this time.

— NHL stars Alex Ovechkin (oh-VECH’-kin) and Sidney Crosby think the league should go directly to the playoffs once it resumes play. The two rival Metropolitan Division captains shared their views Thursday. Crosby says he understands the need to try to play as many games as possible. But he says he wouldn’t mind beginning with the playoffs. Ovechkin had the same idea. There is no timetable for when play will resume. It has not been determined whether the league will complete the regular season.

— The WNBA has announced its draft will be a virtual event this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The draft will be held on April 17 as originally scheduled but will be broadcast without players, fans or media in attendance. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says the league is still looking at different scenarios for the start of the regular season but notes it could begin before the NBA resumes play.

— Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he has fully recovered from the coronavirus, two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. Arteta told the Arsenal website that he is “completely fine” and that he only felt ill for a few days. He said he had three or four days that were a little bit difficult, with a bit of a temperature, a dry cough and some discomfort in my chest.” Arteta became the first Premier League figure to test positive for the coronavirus on March 12. The league was then suspended the next day.

— The International Olympic Committee says it is “not aware of any link” between an Olympic boxing tournament it oversaw in London this month and positive coronavirus tests for people who were there. The Turkish boxing federation says a boxer and a trainer now have the virus after attending the Olympic qualifying tournament, which was stopped on March 16 after three of the scheduled 11 days. The Turkish team says the two men are being treated in a hospital and two others with symptoms are awaiting test results.

— Three professional baseball players in Japan have tested positive for the new coronavirus but Japanese baseball officials insist that won’t impact plans to start the season next month. Hanshin Tigers pitcher Shintaro Fujinami and two teammates have become the first professional baseball players in Japan to test positive. Japan professional baseball had earlier postponed the start of its regular season amid the pandemic and was aiming for an April 24th start.

MLB-SERVICE TIME

Players, management agree to preserve service time

UNDATED (AP) — Players have agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the two sides have left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.

As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players agreed not to challenge giving up their salaries if no games are played, except for $170 million payment management will advance in two stages. Player salary this year is expected to be in the $4 billion range.

Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.

Details were divulged to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.

Teams are set to approve the roughly 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.

NCAA-REVENUE DISTRIBUTION

Pandemic fallout: NCAA slashes distribution by $375 million

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA will distribute $225 million to its Division I members in June. That is $375 million less than had been budgeted this year because the coronavirus outbreak forced the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament.

The NCAA says $50 million will come from its reserve fund. A $270 million event cancellation insurance policy will help pay the rest.

March Madness is among the biggest revenue producers for the NCAA and its schools. It was canceled March 19, a week before the first round was scheduled to begin.

The NCAA pulled in more than $1 billion in revenue last year, including $867.5 million from the television and marketing rights for the Division I men’s basketball tournament.

The NCAA had been scheduled to distribute $600 million to more than 300 Division I schools from April to June.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-VANDERBILLT-NESMITH

Nesmith leaving Commodores

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith is forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NBA draft.

Nesmith was one of the nation’s most prolific scorers and 3-point shooters before a right foot injury caused him to miss more than half the season. He averaged 23 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the Commodores this past season.

MLB-OBIT-WYNN

Toy Cannon dies

UNDATED (AP) — Jimmy Wynn, the diminutive slugger whose monster shots in the 1960s and ’70s earned him the popular nickname “The Toy Cannon,” has died at 78.

The Astros say the three-time All-Star outfielder died Thursday in Houston, but the team did not provide further details.

The 5-foot-9 Wynn hit more than 30 homers twice with Houston, including a career-high 37 in 1967 at the pitcher-friendly Astrodome. Wynn left the team as the franchise leader in hits, home runs, RBIs and walks. Overall, he finished with 291 homers with 964 RBIs and 225 stolen bases in his career.

MLB-OBIT-BARTHOLOMAY

Bill Bartholomay, who moved Braves to Atlanta, dies at 91

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Braves owner Bill Bartholomay has died at 91.

Bartholomay moved the franchise from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966, making it the first Major League Baseball team in the South. He headed the group that sold the Braves to Ted Turner in 1976 but retained a partial interest and remained as the team’s chairman until November 2003, when he assumed an emeritus role.

Braves Hall of Famer Hank Aaron said on his Twitter account that Bartholomay “was the greatest owner I ever had the pleasure to play for.”

Bartholomay died Wednesday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to his daughter, Jamie.

OBIT-GLOBETROTTERS-NEAL

Harlem Globetrotters great Curly Neal dies at 77

UNDATED (AP) — Iconic Harlem Globetrotters player Fred “Curly” Neal has died at 77, according to the team.

The dribbling wizard played for the Globetrotters from 1963-85, appearing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries for the exhibition team known for its combination of comedy and athleticism. He became one of five Globetrotters to have his jersey retired when his No. 22 was lifted to the rafters during a special ceremony at Madison Square Garden in 2008.

Neal was a crowd favorite with his trademark shaved head, infectious smile and ability to dribble circles around would-be defenders.

 

In world and national news…

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. coronavirus infections surged to top the world amid warnings that the pandemic might be accelerating in major urban areas like New York, Chicago and Detroit. A record $2.2 trillion emergency package neared final approval Friday by Congress in an attempt to help millions of newly unemployed Americans. The situation in countries with even more fragile health care systems grew more dire. Russia, Indonesia and South Africa all passed the 1,000-infection mark, and South Africa began a three-week lockdown Friday. India launched a massive program to help feed day laborers after a lockdown of the country’s 1.3 billion people put them out of work.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is about to deliver massive, unprecedented legislation to speed help to individuals and businesses as the coronavirus pandemic takes a devastating toll on the U.S. economy and a health care system straining to keep up. The House is set to pass the sprawling, $2.2 trillion measure on Friday morning after an extraordinary 96-0 Senate vote late Wednesday. President Donald Trump is eager to sign it into law. The relief can hardly come soon enough. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the economy “may well be in recession” already and the government has reported a 3.3 million burst of weekly jobless claims, more than four times the previous record.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wants to determine which parts of the country are the safest. He says federal officials are developing guidelines to rate counties by risk of virus spread. Trump wants to begin easing nationwide guidelines meant to stem the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter Thursday to the nation’s governors, Trump says the new guidelines are meant to enable state and local leaders to make “decisions about maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other measures they have put in place.” States would still have authority to set restrictions. Trump says he will visit Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday to see off the USNS Comfort, the 1,000-bed hospital ship heading to New York.

 

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has confirmed another 144 deaths from the coronavirus and says thousands more are in critical condition as the military completed work on a 2,000-bed field hospital in an exhibition center in the capital. Iran has reported nearly 2,400 deaths among more than 32,000 cases. Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted they have the outbreak under control despite concerns it could overwhelm the country’s health facilities. Authorities have urged people to stay home but have not imposed the sweeping lockdowns seen elsewhere in the region. Israel has meanwhile seen a surge in infections in recent days. It now has 3,035 confirmed cases and 10 fatalities.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak is taking its toll on New York City’s civil servants. Two people who helped keep New York moving during the crisis were killed by the virus Thursday. Transport Workers Union identified the victims as bus operator Oliver Cyrus and train conductor Peter Petrassi. The New York Police Department also announced its first coronavirus death. The city’s police commissioner identified the victim as department janitor Dennis Dickson. COVID-19 has attacked New York with increasing force. The number of people hospitalized with the virus rose by 40% between Wednesday and Thursday.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal Bureau of Prisons is struggling to manage the growing coronavirus pandemic as advocates and even prison guards call for major reforms to head off a potential outbreak behind bars. Ten inmates and eight staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Inmates, correction officers, lawyers and advocates tell The Associated Press there’s widespread fear among inmates and staff members that the virus could spread rapidly within the prisons. The bureau has been plagued for years by violence, misconduct and staffing shortages. The bureau’s director says the low number of confirmed cases is a testament to “effective planning and execution.”

 

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa has its first two coronavirus deaths as the country’s cases rise above 1,000 and a three-week lockdown begins. South Africa has the most virus cases in Africa, where the total is now above 3,200. Security forces with megaphones screamed at people still on the streets shortly after midnight in downtown Johannesburg, the country’s commercial hub. Homeless people scattered, lost. One commuter says, “Please pray for us that are still working.” Concerns are high about water supply and social distancing in crowded, low-income townships. The economy is already in recession and many worry about losing their jobs.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials say one man was killed in a fire on a subway train that also injured more than a dozen people. A New York City police spokesman confirms a man in his 30s was pronounced dead early Friday. Police say eight other adults were hospitalized, but a fire department spokesman says 17 people were injured, including four critically and one seriously. But the fire department couldn’t confirm a fatality. Fire officials say seven civilians and five firefighters also suffered minor injuries. More than 100 firefighters responded to the Central Park North-110th Street station around 3:15 a.m. The cause of fire is still under investigation.