CSi Weather…

REST OF TODAY… Clearing. Highs in the mid 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

.TONIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

.THURSDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s. Northwest

winds around 10 mph.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s.

.MONDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.

 

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Dec. 1, 2020

11-a.m.

Update 1:38-p.m.

Barnes County

NEW DEATHS 4

  • Man in his 90s
  • Man in his 90s
  • Man in his 70s
  • Woman in her 80s

TOTAL DEATHS 18

New Positives:  7

Total Positives: 1043

Active:  116

Recovered:  909

 

Stutsman County

NEW DEATH 1

Man in his 70s

TOTAL DEATH 43

New Positives: 7

Total Positives: 2631

Active:  171

Recovered:   2417

COVID-19 Test Results 
The results listed are from the previous day. Additional data can be found on the NDDoH website.


BY THE NUMBERS

3,347 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

1,147,587 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

409 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

79,655 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

13.37% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

5,686 – Total Active Cases

-791 Individuals from Yesterday

1,167 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday (879 with a recovery date of yesterday****)

73,015 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

319 – Currently Hospitalized

-12 – Individuals from yesterday

 

27 – New Deaths*** (954 total deaths since the pandemic began)
Please note that 7 of the 27 deaths were outside the typical 0-3-day lag in death reporting. It is more likely that a higher number of deaths are reported on Tuesdays because of the lag in reporting from over the weekend.

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • Man in his 90s from Barnes County.
  • Man in his 90s from Barnes County.
  • Man in his 70s from Barnes County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Barnes County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
  • Man in his 90s from Cass County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Cass County.
  • Man in his 80s from Dickey County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Foster County.
  • Man in his 70s from Grand Forks County.
  • Man in his 80s from Grand Forks County.
  • Woman in her 100s from Grand Forks County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Mountrail County.
  • Woman in her 70s from Pembina County.
  • Man in his 80s from Renville County.
  • Man in his 90s from Renville County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Renville County.
  • Man in his 50s from Rolette County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Rolette County.
  • Man in his 70s from Stutsman County.
  • Man in his 90s from Walsh County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TUESDAY

  • Adams County – 1
  • Barnes County – 7
  • Benson County – 3
  • Bottineau County – 3
  • Burke County – 1
  • Burleigh County – 33
  • Cass County – 169
  • Cavalier County – 2
  • Dickey County – 2
  • Dunn County – 2
  • Eddy County – 2
  • Emmons County – 1
  • Foster County – 3
  • Grand Forks County – 18
  • Grant County – 1
  • Griggs County – 4
  • Kidder County – 4
  • LaMoure County – 2
  • McKenzie County – 8
  • McLean County – 2
  • Mercer County – 3
  • Morton County – 12
  • Mountrail County – 2
  • Pembina County – 9
  • Pierce County – 3
  • Ramsey County – 18
  • Ransom County – 1
  • Renville County – 2
  • Richland County – 15
  • Rolette County – 14
  • Sioux County – 8
  • Stark County – 8
  • Steele County – 1
  • Stutsman County – 7
  • Traill County – 3
  • Walsh County – 6
  • Ward County – 11
  • Williams County – 18

 

* Note that this does not include individuals from out of state and has been updated to reflect the most recent information discovered after cases were investigated.

**Individuals who tested positive divided by the total number of people tested who have not previously tested positive (susceptible encounters).

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19. There is a lag in the time deaths are reported to the NDDoH.

**** The actual date individuals are officially out of isolation and no longer contagious.

*****Totals may be adjusted as individuals are found to live out of state, in another county, or as other information is found during investigation.

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota lawmakers decided to require masks at the state Capitol. for the three-day organizational session. The vote Tuesday is supported by legislative leaders but opposed by far-right members of the Republican-controlled Legislature. House Majority Leader Chet Pollert and Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner told reporters Tuesday they support a mask mandate at Capitol legislative spaces to help protect lawmakers and the public. Lawmakers are expected to finalize the rules Thursday for the upcoming session it convenes Jan. 5.

Jamestown  (CSi)  At Frontier Village in Jamestown the space formerly occupied by the Fire Hall structure, recently torn down, will contain  a food truck, and possible a play equipment.

On Tuesday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2 Tourism Director, Searle Swedlund  said the old fire hall, building was decommissioned, as major structural deficiencies made it cost prohibitive to repair.

He said a survey last summer, of 1400 Frontier Village visitors showed that 60 percent of the respondence visited the Village spontaneously, as Searle responded by saying that information on the Village and other Jamestown sites will be updated on line, along with a new 12 month calendar expanded to include Jamestown area events, plus, city and county informational items, along with the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, and other entities including Jamestown Public Schools events, and school calendar information.

Searle said the calendars will be available for distribution by mid December and can be picked up at various locations.

He added that the Tourism website will be updated, to be more “inspirational,” to attract potential visitors.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Commission met in Regular Session Tuesday evening at City Hall. All  members were present.  The meeting was presented by Teams, Virtually.

 

APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA

Monthly Reports from the Fire Chief, Building Inspector, Auditor, Municipal Judge and Public Works Accountant.

Monthly Bills for the City and Public Works in the Amount of $1,482,996.62

A 2021 Pawn Shop License for Northwestern Industries.

2021 Tree Trimming and Removal License for a. Johnny B’s Trees and Service.

Z’s Trees

Mike’s Construction and Repair

Ground to Sky

 

2021 Vehicles for Hire License for South Central Adult Services.

Blocking off Street Request for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church on December 24, 2020 on 3rd St. NW between 2nd Ave NW and alley or Central for a Christmas Event mini-worship gathering on 12/24/2020.

A Permit to Sell L.P. Gas for CBF Oil, Inc. dba Vining Oil & Propane.

 

Public Comments … No one spoke.

 

ORDINANCE

Approved was second and final reading of an Ordinance creating and enacting Section 19-01-08 of Valley City Municipal Code re penalty for violation of City emergency orders. City Attorney Martineck said the penalty involves a fine of a maximum $1,000, under an infraction with citations at the discretion of local authorities.  The action is in line with the State of North Dakota, with any prosecutions in District Court, with fine collected at the local level.

Commissioner Erickson voted in opposition.

 

Approved was second and final reading of Ordinance No. 1068, an Ordinance Amending and Reenacting Sections 8-06-07 and 8-06-12 of the Valley City Municipal Code, related to removal of stumps and renewal of licenses. City Attorney Martineck  said the stumps need to be removed at the time of tree removal with a grace period of three weeks. The Commission approved a grace period of four weeks, following tree removal, with diseased stumps to be removed, no later than four weeks, as indicated by the City Forester.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS

Approved a Special Alcohol Event Permit for Bridges Bar and Grill at North Dakota Winter Show for Cattleman’s Ball and Sale on December 4th-6th, 2020.  City Auditor Richter said paperwork with drawings of the alcohol dispensing area, has been submitted, approved by law enforcement.

 

 

Approved the Scoring & Ranking Criteria for the Main Street Program.   Jennifer Feist said one applicant was received for the first year.  She said this year the funding level is capped at $40,000.  Visual impact of the project carries the most weight in the criteria for scoring.

 

Tentatively approved was  a Valley City Water Purchase Agreement, with Barnes Rural Water.  City Administrator Crawford said two properties, were under a base rate being charged, which needs to be put into the agreement for approval of Barnes Rural Water, before final approval.

 

Approved was a State Water Commission Agreement for Cost-Share Reimbursement for Mill Dam Rehabilitation Project.

 

Discussed was the cost share with City County health regarding the mask mandate funding concerning kits, provided to businesses, at $1,200 plus  advertising costs.  Commissioners approved the $1,200 funding.

 

Discussed was establishing  a procurement committee, of no more than seven to review RFQ’s for a business to be selected for an engineering firm, for a city improvement project.  The motion to approve passed.

 

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:

Gwen Crawford said she will update the commission, as information is compiled on various department items.

 

 CITY UPDATES &COMMISSION REPORTS:

Avis Richter thanked the Public Works Department on budgeting, and noted specifically the water tower project, and funding to be set aside.

Fire Chief Scott Magnuson warned the public to stay off thin ice, noting his department was on scene within three minutes of the call of rescuing a man and his dogs from the river on Saturday.

With dry conditions residents are reminded to check the city ordinance concerning burning.

He said fire extinguisher inspections and fill are in progress.

Police Chief Phil Hatcher said Santa, Cops & Kids holiday shopping will be held under a different format to be safe under the pandemic protocols.

Mayor Carlsrud thanked Dr. and Sharon Buhr on their efforts regarding distributing face masks and the public service  awareness program in cooperation with City County Health, and the City of Valley City,

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 68 followed by replays.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  Officials report the changes in order to hold this year’s Santa, Cops & Kids event.

Members of the Valley City, Lisbon and Jamestown Police Departments along with deputies from the Barnes & Ransom Counties Sheriff’s Office, North Dakota Highway Patrol and Barnes County Ambulance team up to support children and their families during this program annually.

Valley City Police Lt. Dana Rustebakke says the event was not cancelled but changed due to safety issues associated with the pandemic.

This year, instead of taking the kids out to eat and the shopping, the plan involves gathering the children’s names submitted, then purchase the gifts, wrap then, and deliver the gift to their door step

Individuals or businesses that would like to donate to Santa, Cops & Kids program, can do so through the Valley City Police Department or drop it off at the Police Department Office. Make checks payable to James/Valley Lodge #4. For more information call the Valley City Police Department at 701-845-3110.

Jamestown  (CSi)  Riverbank Restoration (James River) – Road & Lane Closures Beginning Monday, December 7, 2020, there will be road and lane closures in three areas in town.
Area 1: Intersection of 1st Ave North and 13th Street NW.
Area 2: 1st Ave North and 10th Street NW (Nickeus Park Loop Road will be closed to through traffic when working on Area 2).
Area 3: 11th St NW from the intersection of 4th Ave NW along the road to Nickeus Park to the intersection of 2nd Ave NW and 10th Street NW.

Bismarck  (NDDOT)  The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) 2021-2024 Final Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is now available. The STIP is a four-year program of transportation improvements to be funded with federal highway and transit monies. Improvements include state and county highways, urban streets, roadway safety features, bikeways and busing programs.

An electronic copy of the Final STIP is located on the NDDOT website at www.dot.nd.gov by clicking on the Publications icon at the top of the page, then clicking on the “2021-2024 Final STIP” link under the Plans and Reports section. Copies will also be available for viewing at the district offices, or individual copies may be obtained from the NDDOT Programming Division upon request.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation is also requesting public comments as it prepares the 2022-2025 STIP. Public comments for any upcoming projects are being sought until December 31, 2020. In Bismarck-Mandan, Fargo-Moorhead and Grand Forks-East Grand Forks, urban area programs of projects are being prepared by the local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO).

If you have any comments, or projects you would like to see in the near future, contact your district engineer, county engineer, MPO (Metropolitan Planning Office), BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), or other appropriate agency.

Bismarck District
(701) 328-6950

Grand Forks District
(701) 787-6500

Devils Lake District
(701) 665-5100

Minot District
(701) 857-6925

Dickinson District
(701) 227-6500

Valley City District
(701) 845-8800

Fargo District
(701) 239-8900

Williston District
(701) 774-2700

Bismarck/Mandan MPO
(701) 355-1840

Fargo/Moorhead MPO
(701) 232-3242

Grand Forks/East Grand Forks MPO
(701) 746-2660

Bismarck  (CSi)  The North Dakota Department of Commerce will offer a new round of Main Street tourism grants in 2021.

The purpose of the Tourism Main Street Expansion Grant Program is to support new or expanding businesses that provide an improved visitor experience, with an emphasis on attracting visitors to the core of a city or town.

North Dakota tourism and marketing director, Sara Otte Coleman says, “By developing more enjoyable experiences in our core business districts, North Dakota communities will offer improved activities and experiences to attract residents and visitors,”   Today’s visitors are drawn to the unique architecture, local culture and experiential activities that create healthy, vibrant communities.”

The program’s intent is to fund new projects that attract visitors from outside of North Dakota for at least one overnight stay with the goal of giving the community and state another experience to entertain visitors and potential new residents.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states suggests faltering confidence in the region’s economy. After climbing every month since bottoming out in April, the overall index of the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions survey fell to 69.0 in November from October’s 70.2. Any score above 50 on the survey’s indexes suggests growth, while a score below 50 suggests recession. Meanwhile, the survey’s confidence index looking ahead six months plummeted 20 points to 50.0 this month from October’s 70.4. The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

 

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A North Dakota man accused of shooting and wounding two police officers in Wisconsin has entered not guilty pleas to charges against him. Twenty-three-year-old Nathanael Benton, of Fargo, was bound over for trial in Waukesha County Circuit Court Monday after waiving his preliminary hearing. Benton is accused of shooting the two officers Nov. 6 after they responded to a Delafield hotel on a report of a possible hit-and-run. Benton is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide/use of a dangerous weapon as well as possession of a firearm by an out-of-state felon.

In sports…

T25 ACC

UNDATED (AP) — No. 2 Notre Dame wrapped up a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by virtue of the league shuffling its schedule Tuesday to create an open date for the Fighting Irish and No. 4 Clemson before their likely rematch on Dec. 19. The ACC announced Notre Dame’s game against Wake Forest, which was rescheduled for Dec. 12 after being postponed in late September, will not be played. The first-place Irish host Syracuse on Saturday to complete their regular season. Clemson’s postponed game at Florida State will also not be made up. The Tigers can clinch a spot in the championship game with a victory at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

T25 BASKETBALL

UNDATED (AP) — Matt Coleman III scored 16 points to help No. 17 Texas beat Indiana 66-44 in Tuesday’s semifinals of the relocated Maui Invitational in Asheville, North Carolina. That sent the Longhorns to the tournament’s championship game for the first time.

Courtney Ramey added 13 points for Texas, which locked down to force a rough offensive performance for the Hoosiers. Indiana shot just 24%. The Hoosiers also finished with more turnovers than field goals. Trayce Jackson-Davis led Indiana with 17 points. But Race Thompson managed just four points a day after posting his first double-double.

In other T25 action:

—Rocket Watts scored 20 points and Julius Marble had a career-high 12 to help No. 8 Michigan State beat No. 6 Duke 75-69 on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic. The Spartans trailed by 10 early in the game but closed the first half with a 13-4 surge to take a 37-33 lead at halftime. The Blue Devils rallied late and pulled within five in the final minute.

— Leaky Black had a big driving basket at the 1:02 mark followed by a clinching free throw with 5.5 seconds left to help No. 14 North Carolina hold off Stanford 67-63 in the semifinals at the relocated Maui Invitational. Freshman Caleb Love scored 16 points to lead the Tar Heels. Daejon Davis scored 18 points to lead Stanford. The Cardinal shot 39% for the game and made just 5 of 20 3-point tries.

— Jay Huff scored 13 points and No. 15 Virginia rebounded from a stunning loss to San Francisco with a 76-51 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.). Kadin Shedrick had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who won their 24th consecutive home opener. Sam Hauser added 11 points and Trey Murphy had 10. Bryce Laskey led the Red Flash with 12 points.

—Justin Moore led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points and No. 12 Villanova bounced back from its first loss of the season to rout Hartford 87-53. Eric Dixon had 14 points and 10 rebound for the Wildcats, who had six players score in double figures.

SOCCER-US WOMEN-EQUAL PAY

Women’s team, US Soccer settle part of their lawsuit

UNDATED (AP) — U.S. Soccer and the women’s national team have settled the players’ legal claim over inequitable working conditions, putting to rest a part of the team’s gender discrimination lawsuit. The parties filed notice of the settlement in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The settlement allows the players to appeal their claim that the men’s team is paid more, which a federal judge dismissed earlier this year. As a result of the settlement, U.S. Soccer has agreed to equitable working conditions related to such things as travel, accommodations, venues and staffing.

NFL-NEWS

Browns get Garrett back, lose Harrison

UNDATED (AP) — The Cleveland Browns got their most valuable defensive player back Tuesday but lost another vital one.

Myles Garrett was activated from the COVID-19 list and cleared to return to practice as the 8-3 Browns get ready to play at Tennessee. Garrett has been out since testing positive for the virus on Nov. 20 after he was isolated for two days while having symptoms. He was leading the NFL in sacks when he got sick.

But Cleveland will be without hard-hitting safety Ronnie Harrison, who was placed on injured reserve after tests showed he suffered a severe shoulder injury on Sunday against Jacksonville. Harrison will miss at least three games, and probably more. The Browns have five games left in the regular season.

In other NFL news:

— The San Francisco 49ers are set to embark on an unusual three-week road trip after being kicked out of their stadium and practice facility because of strict new COVID-19 protocols in their home county in Northern California. The Niners will fly to Arizona, where they will practice, live and play their next two games after Santa Clara County imposed a three-week ban on games and practices for contact sports. Coach Kyle Shanahan says he expects some “bumps in the road” but that his team is prepared for the journey.

— Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez says surgery to remove a cancerous tumor “went well.” The four-year veteran who doubles as the Colts’ kickoff specialist made the announcement in a Twitter post, one day after he revealed the diagnosis on social media. Sanchez first learned he had a cancerous tumor late last week, and after consulting with doctors decided to play Sunday in a key AFC South showdown with Tennessee. Sanchez punted five times, but turned over his usual kickoff chores to rookie Rodrigo Blankenship.

— Two of four women charged in a South Florida prostitution sting that also involved New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft have taken plea deals this week. Court records show 41-year-old Lei Wang and 60-year-old Shen Mingbi each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count in Palm Beach County circuit court. Records show two others who worked at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter had previously reached deals with prosecutors. A misdemeanor charge against Kraft was dropped earlier this year after courts blocked their use of video that allegedly shows him paying for sex. Kraft had pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology for his actions.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS

No. 3 Ohio State resumes practices

UNDATED (AP) — The Ohio State football team is resuming full practices in preparation for Saturday’s game at Michigan State. Ohio State said in a one-sentence statement that the team would “resume organized team activities” Tuesday afternoon. The Buckeyes will do so while managing COVID-19 issues, and will be without coach Ryan Day, who tested positive last week. No. 3 Ohio State chose to cancel its game at Illinois last week because of an unacceptable number of COVID cases among players and staff in the program.

In other college football news:

— No. 17 USC has resumed conditioning workouts and coach Clay Helton has expressed cautious optimism the Trojans will be able to play Washington State on Sunday. Four USC football players tested positive last week and another seven are in quarantine because of contact tracing. Those absences put USC under the minimum number of scholarship players established by the Pac-12, leading to its first cancellation of the abbreviated season last week.

— Michigan’s football team did not meet in person for a second straight day after coach Jim Harbaugh said there had been an increased number of presumptive positive COVID-19 tests. Michigan is scheduled to host Maryland on Saturday.

— Kentucky starting safety and Southeastern Conference interceptions leader Kelvin Joseph has become the first Wildcat to opt out and will focus on preparing for the NFL draft. The redshirt sophomore, whose four pickoffs rank fourth nationally, announced his decision on social media.

— Stanford’s football team is heading for a long trip to the Pacific Northwest because of new COVID-19 protocols in California’s Santa Clara County. The new rules prohibit practices and games for contact sports for three weeks. The Cardinal will travel to Seattle on Wednesday to begin preparing for Saturday’s game at Washington. They will then spend the following week in Corvallis, Oregon, before playing Oregon State on Dec 12.

— Vanderbilt has one kicker on the two-deep chart for this weekend’s game at No. 11 Georgia, and it’s Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a Power Five game. Interim coach Todd Fitch says Fuller will be with the Commodores on their trip to Georgia. None of the kickers who were out last week after COVID-19 issues kept them away from the team is back yet, which could change before Saturday.

—Tennessee has dismissed outside linebacker Kivon Bennett from the football team, hours after he was arrested during a traffic stop. Bennett was stopped Tuesday morning by campus police for speeding. Police reported finding more than 44 grams of marijuana, a scale, 58 plastic baggies and a loaded handgun. Bennett is the son of former NFL player Cornelius Bennett.

NBA-CELTICS-WALKER

Celtics’ Walker gets knee injection, out until early January

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics point guard Kemba Walker will be sidelined until at least the first week of January after receiving a stem cell injection in his left knee.

Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Tuesday the decision was made after Walker consulted with multiple specialists in early October. Walker was then put on a 12-week strengthening program for the upcoming season. He is expected to resume on-court activities in early December.

MLB-NEWS

AP source: Reliever Trevor May agrees to deal with Mets

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Mets have reached their first agreement with a free agent since Steven Cohen bought the team, a deal with 31-year-old right-hander Trevor May, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person tells The Associated Press that the agreement is subject to a successful physical.

May had a 3.86 ERA in 24 relief appearances for the Minnesota Twins last season, striking out 38 and walking seven in 23 1/3 innings while allowing 20 hits with a career-high fastball velocity averaging 96.66 mph. May is 23-21 with a 4.44 ERA in his big league career.

In other MLB news:

—Joe Ross and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a $1.5 million contract, one day before the deadline for teams to offers deals to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters. The 27-year-old right-hander, who had been eligible for salary arbitration, was 4-4 with a 5.48 ERA in nine starts and 18 relief appearances during the pandemic-shortened season, striking out 57 and walking 33 in 64 innings.

—The Red Sox and left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $8.3 million. The agreement was announced Tuesday, a day before the deadline to offer contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters. Rodríguez missed all of last season because of heart inflammation caused by COVID-19.

—Right-hander Burch Smith agreed to a $705,000, one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics a day before Wednesday’s deadline. Smith went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a save in six outings spanning 12 innings for Oakland but was lost for the season in mid-August because of a strained forearm on his pitching side.

—Indians rookie reliever Cam Hill has had surgery on his right wrist after being involved in a car accident in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hill shared details of the incident on Instagram account, saying he only “banged up” his wrist. He expressed thanks others in the accident were OK. The team said surgery went “as expected.”

— Hall of Fame manager Tom Lasorda has been moved out of intensive care, although he remains hospitalized in Southern California. Los Angeles Dodgers spokesman Steve Brener said Tuesday that the team’s 93-year-old former manager is doing rehab at the hospital in Orange County. Lasorda has been hospitalized since Nov. 8, although the team didn’t make it public until a week later.

— Major league baseball players are giving $500,000 to support minor leaguers whose season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Major League Baseball Players Association says the money will be donated through the Major League Baseball Players Trust to More Than Baseball, a not-for-profit that benefits minor leaguers. The big league season was cut from 162 games to 60 because of the pandemic, causing a prorated reduction in pay.

— Major League Baseball’s number of drug tests dropped sharply during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Independent program administrator Thomas M. Martin said in his annual report Tuesday that there were 3,733 urine samples and 412 blood samples for human growth hormone testing collected during the year ending with the World Series. That was down from 9,332 urine samples and 2,287 blood samples in the year ending with the 2019 World Series.

— Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa is scheduled to change his plea to misdemeanor charges stemming from his drunken driving arrest nine months ago on a freeway in Phoenix. The Hall of Fame manager has previously pleaded not guilty to the two drunken driving charges. Authorities say La Russa blew out a tire on the grey Lexus he was driving in a collision with a curb that left the vehicle smoking.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell says he’s sticking with his scaled-back COVID-19 relief bill with the goal of passing a significant down payment during the lame-duck session and then revisiting the topic next year. The Kentucky Republican made the announcement after President-elect Joe Biden called upon lawmakers to follow a similar path. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi resumed talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about a year-end spending package that could include COVID-19 relief provisions. Yet it’s unclear whether the flurry of activity will lead to progress. Time is running out on the lame-duck session and Donald Trump’s presidency.

 

(AP)  British officials have authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, greenlighting the world’s first shot against the virus that’s backed by rigorous science and taking a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic. The go-ahead Wednesday for the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech comes as the virus surges again in the United States and Europe, putting pressure on hospitals and morgues in some places and forcing new rounds of restrictions that have devastated economies. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recommended the vaccine could be used after it reviewed the results of clinical trials that showed the vaccine was 95% effective overall — and that it also offered significant protection for older people.

 

(AP)  Nearly 37,000 people died of COVID-19 in the U.S. in November, the most since the dark early days of the pandemic. It’s engulfing families in grief, filling newspaper obituary pages and testing the capacity of morgues, funeral homes and hospitals. States have begun reopening field hospitals to handle an influx of patients that is pushing health care systems — and their workers — to the breaking point. Hospitals are bringing in mobile morgues. And funerals are being livestreamed or performed as drive-by affairs. Health officials fear that the situation will be even worse in coming weeks, after many Americans ignored pleas to stay home over the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating a secret scheme to lobby White House officials for a pardon as well as a related plot to offer a hefty political contribution in exchange for clemency. That’s according to a court document unsealed Tuesday. Most of the information in the 18-page court order is redacted, including the identity of the people whom prosecutors are investigating and whom the proposed pardon might be intended for. But the document from August does reveal that people are suspected of having acted to secretly lobby White House officials to secure a pardon and that, in a related scheme, a political contribution was floated in exchange for a pardon.

 

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has transferred over $1 billion in taxes and customs duties it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority after a six-month hiatus in which the Palestinians had severed ties with Israel over its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians resumed contacts with Israel last month following President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. election. Biden is opposed to annexation and has promised a more evenhanded approach to the conflict. The taxes are a key source of revenue for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and was forced to cut the salaries it pays to tens of thousands of civil servants.

 

(AP)  Global shares and Wall Street futures are mostly lower after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite index both set fresh record highs. Benchmarks fell Wednesday in Paris, London, Hong Kong and Shanghai but climbed in Tokyo and Seoul. Investors are betting that coronavirus vaccines may bring on a fuller global economic recovery despite the challenges of immunizing billions of people. Revived talk of new help for the U.S. economy also has boosted sentiment. Australian shares were almost unchanged despite news Wednesday that the economy expanded at a 3.3% pace in the last quarter as it began to recover from pandemic lockdowns. Oil prices were lower.