– Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Apr 8

CSi Weather…

.REST OF TODAY…Cloudy. A 50 percent chance of rain showers in the afternoon in the Valley City area. Highs in the mid 50s. Breezy. North winds 15 to 25 mph.

.TONIGHT…Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain showers in the Valley City area. Lows 35 to 40. North winds 10 to 20 mph.

.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain showers in the Valley City area.

Highs in the mid 50s. Windy. North winds 20 to 30 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. Northwest

winds 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.

.SATURDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. West winds 5 to

15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s.

.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. Slight chance of rain possibly mixed with

snow in the morning, then chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs

in the mid 50s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

.SUNDAY 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.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Slight chance of rain and snow in the

morning, then slight chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in

the mid 40s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows in the mid 20s.

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

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s.

Fire Danger Rating

NDDOH

COVID-19 Stats

Wed. Apr. 7, 2021

11-a.m.

Barnes

New Positives 1

Total Positives: 1346

Active: 18

Recovered 1297

Stutsman:

New Positives: 6

Total Positives: 3362

Active: 34

Recovered: 3249

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

Please note that from now on the daily news release will be sent Monday – Friday. The NDDoH dashboard will continue to be updated daily.

BY THE NUMBERS
249,666	Residents who received at least one dose of vaccine
441,946	Total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered
5,374	Total Tests from yesterday*
1,821,528	Total tests completed since the pandemic began
196	Positive Individuals from yesterday*****
75	PCR Tests
121	Antigen Tests
104,167	Total positive individuals since the pandemic began
5.10%	Daily Positivity Rate**
1,171	Total Active Cases
+29	Change in active cases from yesterday
157	Individuals with a recovery date of yesterday****
101,528	Total recovered since the pandemic began
30	Currently hospitalized
0	Change in hospitalizations from yesterday
0	New death(s)
1,468	Total deaths since the pandemic began
INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19
No deaths to report
NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED WEDNESDAY BY COUNTY

Adams		1	Grant	0	Ransom	6
Barnes		1	Griggs	1	Renville	0
Benson		1	Hettinger	0	Richland	5
Billings		0	Kidder	0	Rolette	0
Bottineau		0	LaMoure	2	Sargent	1
Bowman		0	Logan	0	Sheridan	0
Burke		0	McHenry	1	Sioux	1
Burleigh		32	McIntosh	0	Slope	0
Cass		77	McKenzie	4	Stark	8
Cavalier		0	McLean	0	Steele	0
Dickey		0	Mercer	0	Stutsman	6
Divide		0	Morton	5	Towner	1
Dunn		0	Mountrail	1	Traill	1
Eddy		0	Nelson	0	Walsh	3
Emmons		0	Oliver	0	Ward	4
Foster		0	Pembina	0	Wells	0
Golden Valley		0	Pierce	0	Williams	1
Grand Forks		33	Ramsey	0

* Note that this includes PCR and antigen; it does not include individuals from out of state.

**Individuals (PCR or antigen) 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 with a PCR or antigen test and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19. Please remember that deaths are reported as they’re reported to us by the facility or through the official death record (up to 10-day delay).

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

*****Daily positive numbers include people who tested with a PCR or antigen test. 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.

Valley City (VCSU) A COVID-19 vaccination clinic will take place On Thursday April 8 from 2:30- p.m., to 4:30-p.m., at CCHD there will be a Second Dose Moderna Vaccine Clinic.

On Friday April 9 from 8-a.m. to 11:30-a.m, at the Hi-Liner Activity Center there will be Pfizer Vaccine clinic.

Appointments are REQUIRED and can be made at https://www.ndvax.org//reg/0146051292 (link will not open in Internet Explorer).

Jamestown (CVHD) Central Valley Health has set more vaccination clinics.

On Thursday April 8, a First Dose Moderna Vaccination Clinic will be held will be held from 1-3-p.m., at the Jamestown Civic Center, Exchequor Room.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

On Thursday April 8, a Second Dose Pfizer Vaccination Clinic will be from 3-p.m., to 5-p.m., at the Jamestown Civic Center Exchequor Room.

Vaccine Clinics:

Second Dose Moderna

Tuesday April 13

10-a.m. to 12:30-p.m.

Jamestown Civic Center, Exchequor Room

Second Dose:

Pfizer Vaccine

Monday April 19

1-pm., to 3-p.m.

Jamestown Civic Center, Exchequor Room

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Review the due date on the back of your CDC COVID vaccination record card prior to registering.

* 2nd ose clinics ONLY. If you register as a first dose, your appointment will be canceled.

Appointments are required and are first come, first serve. Once the clinics are full, they will be closed for registration.
.
. To register for an appointment, visit our website www.centralvalleyhealth.org and click the “COVID-19” tab.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Republican-led Senate has endorsed a measure that would prohibit the state mandating face coverings. Senators approved the bill Wednesday, but amended it to give local governments, schools and employers the option of requiring masks. Representatives approved the measure. It now goes back to the House for review of the Senate amendment. Bill sponsor GOP Rep. Jeff Hoverson and others have argued there was no proof that masks work to slow the spread of the coronavirus and they questioned the government’s role in mandating them.

Jamestown (CSi) Jamestown Tourism Director, Searle Swedlund says the planned Buffalo City Park for Jamestown will be an “Edu-tainment,” venue, a combination of Education and Entertainment.

On Wednesday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Searle said Edutainment is the wave of the future for tourist attractions, and features interactive experiences, which is planned among other attractions at Buffalo City Park.

He pointed out that distribution of the North Dakota Legacy fund dollars is still to be determined, and that at this point funding for Buffalo City Park is being looked at positively by the state.

He added that around $150,000 has been raised local so far.

One million dollars in financial contributions has been outlaid to start the project including organizing by Brian Lunde, and arranging assistance in planning by the Apogee Attractions LLC.

On other topics, Searle said Frontier Village is being spruced up to host visitor this summer, and some buildings are being repainted, and otherwise receiving maintenance.

He added that the National Buffalo Museum is moving forward to start the Buffalo Pasture tours, to include an educational narrative on the American Bison during the tour.

The Buffalo Museum also has the new interactive bison exhibit in operation, for visitors to learn more about the bison, being able to examine it internally and removing and replacing the parts.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Mandan man will serve four years in federal prison for bank fraud and transporting stolen livestock across state lines. Prosecutors say Kelly Glatt took out a $1.5 million loan to purchase cattle and supplies, but took steps to hide collateral and assets from the bank. The 39-year-old Glatt was also convicted of stealing cattle from other ranchers and transporting the stolen livestock from North Dakota to South Dakota. A federal jury found Glatt guilty last October of the crimes committed from February 2014 to July 2017.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The Republican-controlled North Dakota House has agreed to fund a rail spur to help a troubled shipping center in Minot. But lawmakers balked at giving more than $8 million in taxpayer money to bail out a trio of banks — including one owned by Republican U.S. Sen. John Hoeven. Five Minot-area lawmakers sponsored the legislation for the intermodal shipping facility that sought to funnel funds to a trio of banks that acquired the facility in the senator’s hometown through foreclosure. The House instead agreed to provide a loan of up to $2.5 million for track improvements for the facility.

MEDORA, N.D. (AP) — Lighter winds have helped firefighters contain a blaze in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park to an 8-square-mile area. The fire in the park’s North Unit continues to threaten bison handling facilities, administrative buildings, the River Bend Outlook and the CCC Campground, as well as some private residences. North Dakota Forest Service Acting Outreach and Education Manager Beth Hill says the blaze is 50% contained, a slight increase over Tuesday. No structure damage has been reported. Federal forestry officials have issued emergency restrictions on fires and shooting in all national forest lands in a host of North Dakota counties.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s House has passed legislation aimed at preventing North Dakota State University from funneling federal grant money to Planned Parenthood for sex education in the state. The bill easily passed the Republican-led chamber Wednesday. The original Senate bill effectively held hostage grant dollars to the state’s 10 other colleges and universities unless NDSU ends its partnership with Planned Parenthood. The House amended the bill to hold harmless other schools, The legislation if passed could mean a $2.8 million blow to the Fargo-based research university. North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani has said he won’t bow to political pressure.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A use-of-force expert says Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck area the entire time that he was handcuffed behind his back and lying facedown. Jody Stiger is a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant serving as a prosecution witness. He testified Wednesday that his review of video evidence found that Chauvin’s weight was on Floyd from the time officers put Floyd on the ground until paramedics arrived — about 9 1/2 minutes, by prosecutors’ reckoning. Stiger also says bystanders didn’t appear to be a threat to police. Chauvin’s attorney has suggested officers were distracted by angry onlookers.

In sports…

Wednesday

Jimmie Women’s Volleyball

GPAC Semifinals

Jamestown Defeats Midland 3-1

25-19,19-25,25-21,25-19

Box Score

The top-ranked University of Jamestown women’s volleyball team advanced to the finals of the GPAC postseason tournament with a 3-1 win over No. 12 Midland (Neb.) University Wednesday at Harold Newman Arena. Set scores were 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, and 25-19.

Jamestown (25-1), will host No. 5 Northwestern (Iowa) College in the GPAC final on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Jimmies will look to avenge their only loss this season, a 3-1 defeat at Northwestern back on November 5.

Set one saw the Jimmies take an 8-4 lead before Midland rallied to tie the set at 12. UJ was able to regain a four-point lead at 21-17 and eventually went ahead 23-18. A kill by Kalli Hegerle (JR/West Fargo, N.D.) clinched the first set for the Jimmies, one of four for her in the set. Corina Huff (SR/Breezy Point, Minn.) also had four kills in the opener as UJ outhit Midland .171-.045.

Midland fell behind 9-5 in the second set but came back to tie the set at 10. The Warriors then won six of the next nine points to take a 16-13 advantage, then stretched the lead to 19-14. Jamestown was only able to close the gap to four points (21-17) before a pair of Warrior kills and a Jimmie attack error helped even the match at one.

In set three, Midland led 16-14 before a Hegerle kill started a run of five straight points. Jackie Meiklejohn (JR/Dickey, N.D.) served back-to-back aces, and consecutive Warrior attack errors made it 19-16 Jimmies. Midland got within a point at 20-19, but an ace by Sydney Ellingson (SR/Langdon, N.D.), two attack errors, and a Taylor Sabinash (JR/Kensal, N.D.) kills gave UJ a 2-1 match lead.

Hegerle posted four kills and Nicole Schmitz (FR/Oakes, N.D.) added three as turned a slim 14-13 advantage into a 19-15 cushion. The Jimmies finished with five of the set’s final seven points, including another Meiklejohn ace, and Meiklejohn set Hegerle for the match-clinching kill.

UJ outhit Midland overall .150-.113 in a battle of two strong defenses. Midland finished with 10 total blocks while the Jimmies had 11. Jamestown had 77 digs to the Warriors’ 70. Ellingson had 22, while Hannah Schiele (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) and Anna Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) finished with 15, and Megan Gaffaney (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) 10. Gaffaney also had 26 assists. Meiklejohn had 19 assists to go along with six digs.

Hegerle led the offense with 13 kills. Holen had 10 and Jayla Ritter (JR/Forest Lake, Minn.) eight. Ritter hit a team-high .438 and had six total blocks on defense.

Wednesday

Trapper Field

Jimmie Softball

Game One

Jamestown 12 Dordt 5 (5 innings)

Game Two

Jamestown 8 Dordt 6

The University of Jamestown softball team opened the home portion of its 2021 schedule with a pair of wins over Dordt (Iowa) University Wednesday afternoon at Trapper Field. UJ took the first game 12-2 in five innings and won the second game 8-6.

Jamestown, now 23-7 overall and 6-2 in the GPAC, are home again on Saturday against Briar Cliff (Iowa) University at 1 p.m.

Gracie Fisher (FR/Bemidji, Minn.)’s two-run home run with one out in the second gave the Jimmies an early 2-0 lead. The Defenders answered with a pair of runs their next trip up to tie the game.

Kassi Ward (JR/Olympia, Wash.) lined a double to deep left center in the bottom of the third, scoring Morgan Geiszler (JR/Horace, N.D.) and Mariah Wick (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) to make it 4-2.

The Jimmies put the game away in the bottom of the fourth with an eight-run inning, which started off with Jenna Remenar (FR/Vancouver, Wash.)’s double to score Alexa Geller (FR/Fort Collins, Colo.). After Steph Cota (SO/Tucson, Ariz.) singled to put runners on the corners, Geiszler smashed a three-run homer to deep center field, clearing the chain-link fence forty feet beyond the temporary fence set up at Trapper Field. Wick came home on a Ward single to make it 9-2, then Sydney Prussia (JR/Detroit Lakes, Minn.) and Katie Reisdorfer (JR/Fresno, Calif.) connected on back-to-back doubles, increasing the lead to 11-2. Up for the second time in the inning, Remenar singled home Reisdorfer for the final run of the inning.

Kat Miska (JR/Pequot Lakes, Minn.) retired the Defenders in order in the top of the fifth to end the game via the run rule. Miska (11-1) allowed just three hits and one earned run while working around six walks. She struck out 10 batters, the ninth time this season reaching double digits in strikeouts.

UJ finished with 13 hits in the opener, led by Wick, Ward, Reisdorfer, Fisher, and Remenar with two hits each.

Game two was more of a back-and-forth affair, and once again a big fourth inning by the Jimmies proved to be the difference.

Dordt took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first, but Geiszler cut the lead in half with a solo home run coming on a 3-2 count leading off the bottom of the first.

Lauren Diemert (FR/West Fargo, N.D.) tied the game in the bottom of the second with a single to right center that scored Megan Neiles (FR/Winnipeg, MB).

The Defenders plated two more runs in the top of the third to go ahead 4-2, but once again the Jimmies rallied in the bottom half. Mariah Wick doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a groundout. Sydney Prussia launched a home run to deep left field to tie the game at four.

Dordt took advantage of a couple of Jamestown fielding miscues in the top of the fourth, scoring the go-ahead run without the benefit of a hit.

Geiszler and Ward had RBI doubles and Wick drove home a pair with a triple as the Jimmies took command of the game 8-5.

A solo homer by the Defenders in the top of the sixth was the final scoring in the game.

Katie Merchant (SO/South Haven, Minn.) (9-3) went the distance, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits while striking out seven.

Jamestown had another 14 hits in game two, with Wick and Diemert having three hits each. Geiszler, Prussia, and Remenar also had multiple hit games.

Wednesday

D-I Hockey

Minot St. 4 Jamestown 2

MLB…

— Jorge Polanco hit a two-run double in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins held off Akil Baddoo and the Detroit Tigers 3-2. Baddoo hit an RBI triple and threw a runner out from left field. Wilson Ramos homered for Detroit.

UNDATED (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings to lift the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep.

In the opener, Ronald Acuña Jr. led the way with a double and a pair of singles to help Atlanta snap a season-starting four-game losing streak by edging Washington 7-6.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Tyler Naquin hit another leadoff home run and the high-scoring Cincinnati Reds kept rolling, backing Luis Castillo to rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-4 for their fifth straight win. The Reds have started a season 5-1 for the first time since 2016. Their 56 runs are the most in Reds franchise history through the first six games of a season.

— Christian Vázquez homered, Xander Bogaerts (ZAN’-dur BOH’-gahrtz) had three hits and J.D. Martinez went for extra bases for the seventh game in a row to help the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2. Nathan Eovaldi (ee-VAHL’-dee) scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out seven. They’ve beaten the defending AL champion Rays in three straight by a combined score of 26-9.

— Mitch Moreland hit an RBI single with one out in the 10th inning and the Oakland Athletics rallied to beat the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 for their first win of the season. The A’s were in danger of falling to 0-7 for the first time in franchise history before tying it in the ninth off Kenley Jansen when Matt Chapman scored on Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice fly. Oakland then won it in the 10th when Moreland’s line-drive single to center off Jimmy Nelson scored Mark Canha from third. Trevor Bauer struck out 10 but got a no-decision for the Dodgers.

— Kyle Seager slapped an opposite-field, bases clearing double for the big blow in Seattle’s seven-run sixth inning, and the Mariners avoided a sweep with an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Seager had three hits and his two-out liner down the left field line cleared the bases as the Mariners posted their highest scoring inning of the young season.

– Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander threw out Gio Urshela trying to score on a fly ball in the 11th, moments after pinch-hitter Chance Sisco’s go-ahead single in the top of the inning, and Baltimore beat the New York Yankees 4-3. Brett Gardner bunted Urshela, the automatic runner, to third to open the inning. DJ LeMahieu then ripped a liner to right. Santander set his feet, caught it and delivered a perfect throw home, a couple steps ahead of Urshela, who slid face first into catcher Pedro Severino’s tag.

— Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto each hit a three-run homer, Rhys (rees) Hoskins had a solo shot and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 8-2. Phillies ace Aaron Nola allowed one run and six hits, striking out five in four innings. Connor Brogdon got five outs to earn his third win in six games. Three relievers pitched the final 3 1/3 innings.

— José Ramírez’s second two-run homer of the game snapped a tie in the eighth inning and sent the Cleveland Indians to a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals after Cy Young winner Shane Bieber struck out 12. Bieber allowed just three hits in 6 1/3 innings. Salvador Perez homered for the Royals.

— Antonio Senzatela pitched eight electric innings on a cool evening, Chris Owings had three extra-base hits before leaving with right leg soreness, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a four-game skid by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0. Senzatela scattered four hits by mixing in a sizzling slider with a fastball that was moving all over. He walked two and struck out three. Senzatela was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eight after throwing 96 pitches.

— Kyle Gibson struck out eight over six scoreless innings as the Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in the rubber game of a three-game series. Nick Solak homered for Texas off left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu (hyoon-jihn YOO). Marcus Semien hit his third homer of the season for Toronto.

— Lorenzo Cain hit his second homer of the game, a three-run shot in the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff had a no-hit bid going until Ian Happ led off the seventh with a clean single.

– Alex Dickerson scored on Donovan Solano’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 to take two of three. Dickerson started the 10th on second base and advanced when Mike Yastrzemski (yah-STREM’-skee) beat out a nubber down the first base line for an infield single. Reliever Tim Hill let the ball roll, thinking it would go foul. Solano followed with a flyball to right to bring in Dickerson.

—Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer and Dylan Carlson added a grand slam, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over Miami 7-0 for a three-game sweep that dropped the Marlins to 1-5 for the first time since 2015.

MLB-NEWS

Blue Jays GM Atkins gets 5-year contract extension

UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays and general manager Ross Atkins have agreed on a five-year contract extension. The extension goes through the 2026 season.

The Blue Jays hired Atkins in December 2015 after 15 seasons in the front office with the Cleveland Indians. That was two months after former Indians executive Mark Shapiro (shuh-PY’-roh) became president and CEO of the Blue Jays. Toronto made the expanded playoffs last season.

In other MLB news:

— Arizona reliever Chris Devenski was placed on the restricted list. No reason was given. Right-hander Anthony Swarzak from the team’s alternate training site. The move came about 20 minutes before the first pitch between the Diamondbacks and Colorado at Coors Field.

— George Springer is dealing with another issue while waiting to make his debut with the Toronto Blue Jays. Springer was on track to play Thursday before feeling tightness in his right quad when running the bases.

— The Milwaukee Brewers say tailgating will be permitted again starting with Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.

NBA…

— Aaron Holiday scored 22 points, brother Justin Holiday had 21 and the short-handed Indiana Pacers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 141-137 on Wednesday night. The Pacers were without All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis and three other injured starters, and had lost nine of 10 home games. Karl Anthony-Towns led NBA-worst Minnesota with 32 points. Anthony Edwards had 27.

— Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul added 29 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz 117-113 in overtime Wednesday night in an entertaining matchup between the top two teams in the NBA. Booker had a couple of clutch mid-range jumpers to keep the Jazz behind and Paul made a 3-pointer with a minute left that pushed Phoenix ahead 114-108. Utah pulled to 114-112 on Mike Conley’s layup with 21 seconds left, but could never tie it. Paul hit two free throws with 7.8 seconds left to finally seal it and wrap up the season series with a game left. Phoenix has won seven in a row. Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 41 points.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant returned from a 23-game absence to spark Brooklyn’s most explosive half of the season, finishing with 17 points and perfect shooting in the Nets’ 139-111 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Durant came off the bench with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. By the time the period ended the Nets had 79 points and a 20-point halftime lead. Brooklyn was a sizzling 14 for 18 in its 43-point quarter.

Kyrie Irving scored 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 in the Nets’ ninth straight home win.

— Bradley Beal returned from a five-game absence and scored 26 points, Russell Westbrook had his 20th triple-double of the season and the Washington Wizards beat the Orlando Magic 131-116. The Wizards made a season-best 19 3-pointers. Washington snapped a four-game losing streak, but not before it blew most of a 21-point third-quarter lead.

— Grayson Allen scored 17 of his season-high 30 points in a dominant third quarter, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 131-113 win over the short-handed Atlanta Hawks. Ja Morant added 14 of his 19 points in the Grizzlies’ decisive quarter as Memphis outscored Atlanta 43-23 in the third to break open a close game ending Atlanta’s four-game winning streak ended.

— Jaylen Brown had 32 points and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 101-99. Jayson Tatum committed eight turnovers but finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Smart added 17 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and nine assists. The Celtics have won three of four.

— Jalen McDaniels had a career-high 21 points in his second career start with six rebounds and three assists to help the Charlotte Hornets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-102. Terry Rozier scored 17 points, Miles Bridges had 16 and Devonte’ Garaham and Cody Zeller added 15 each. Aleksej Pokusevski led the Thunder with a career-high 25 points behind a franchise rookie-record seven 3-pointers. Theo Maledon also had 25 points.

— John Wall had 31 points in his return from injury as the Houston Rockets snapped a five-game skid with a 102-93 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Christian Wood added 22 points and 10 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, and Luka Doncic (DAHN’-chihch) also scored 23 but had a cold shooting night.

— Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to help the surging Denver Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs 106-96. Michael Porter Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds in the opener of the two-game set in Denver. Denver has won seven in a row and has yet to lose in six games since Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee came over in trade-deadline deals.

Elsewhere in the NBA:

—The Detroit Pistons signed forward Tyler Cook to a multi-year contract after two consecutive 10-day deals. Terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed. The 6-foot-8 Cook has appeared in 11 games with the Pistons, averaging 4.0 points in 13.8 minutes per game. The 23-year-old Cook has played in 28 career games with Detroit, Cleveland, Denver and Brooklyn.

NHL..

— Kevin Fiala notched his first career hat trick, Kirill Kaprizov had two of Minnesota’s three power-play goals, and the Wild beat Colorado 8-3. They handed the Avalanche their first regulation loss in 16 games. Luke Johnson, Ryan Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, as the Wild caught NHL wins leader Philipp Grubauer on a rare off night in the net. Grubauer was pulled midway through the third period. Jonas Johansson gave up the eighth goal that matched the all-time Wild record.

— Jack Campbell made 32 saves for his franchise-record 10th straight victory, Auston Matthews scored his NHL-leading 28th goal and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Campbell broke the record he shared with Felix Potvin, Jacques Plante and John Ross Roach. The Maple Leafs are 27-10-3, winning five straight and going 8-0-1 in their last nine to open a seven-point lead over Winnipeg in the all-Canadian North Division.

UNDATED (AP) — Connor McDavid set up three goals by Leon Draisaitl (DRY’-sy-tul) and scored a spectacular game-winner with 6:06 to play as the Edmonton Oilers remained perfect this season against the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 win on Wednesday.Draisaitl and McDavid, the NHL’s top two scorers, were reunited on the same line for the game and each finished with four points.

Edmonton has won eight straight against Ottawa. Mikko Koskinen (KAHS’-kihn-ihn) made 28 saves. Josh Norris and Connor Brown scored for Ottawa. Marcus Hogberg made 31 saves in his first start since Feb. 18.

In other ice action:

— Carl Grundstrom tipped home the tiebreaking goal with 6:05 to play and the Los Angeles Kings overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on Wednesday night. Adrian Kempe and Jeff Carter scored early in the third period to even it for the Kings, who snapped their three-game skid with the impressive comeback. Grundstrom and Trevor Moore both redirected Drew Doughty’s heavy shot through traffic, with Grundstrom getting credit for his fifth goal of the season. Ilya Lyubushkin scored his first NHL goal and Lawson Crouse scored as the Coyotes lost for only the second time in eight games.

— Jordan Binnington made 45 saves to help the St. Louis Blues snap a seven-game skid with a 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Vladimir Tarasenko, Sammy Blais, and Jake Walman scored to give St. Louis its first home victory since an overtime win Feb. 18 against San Jose. The Blues’ last home win in regulation came on Feb. 2 against Arizona. The 45 saves were a season high for Binnington, bettering the 42 he had at Vegas on Jan. 24 in a 5-4 overtime win.

NHL-NEWS

NHL’s Canucks say 21 players tested positive

UNDATED (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks say 25 players and coaches have tested positive in a COVID-19 outbreak involving a variant of the virus.

All players and staff are in quarantine, and 19 of the 22 players on Vancouver’s active roster were listed on the NHL’s COVID protocol list Wednesday.

The Canucks say the team has confirmed that a variant is involved in the outbreak, and full genome sequencing is being conducted by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control to determine which specific variant.

Elsewhere in the NHL:

— Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner had surgery for a broken finger and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The 27-year-old veteran was hit in the hand with a hard shot from teammate Patrik Laine in the third period of Tuesday night’s win over Tampa Bay.

— The New York Islanders have acquired veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in a trading deadline move to improve their Stanley Cup chances. The Devils get the Islanders’ first-round pick this year, a conditional fourth-round choice next year and forwards A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst. New Jersey will pay half of Zajac and Palmieri’s salaries. Palmieri, who has not played since last weekend and will be a free agent after this season.

NFL-NEWS

Bengals show another veteran the door, release RB Bernard

UNDATED (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals have released running back Giovani Bernard.

Bernard, a free agent, played his entire eight-year NFL career in Cincinnati and established himself as a reliable blocking back and receiver. The 29-year-old Bernard became a starter for the last 10 games of 2020 after Joe Mixon suffered a foot injury.

Receiver A.J. Green, who had spent his entire 10-year career with the team, signed with Arizona as a free agent.

In other NFL news:

— Nike has suspended its endorsement contract with Deshaun Watson amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment in lawsuits filed by 22 women against the Houston Texans quarterback. Watson’s attorney has called the allegations “meritless”.

— The Buffalo Bills agreed to sign guard Forrest Lamp to a one-year contract. Lamp spent the past four seasons with the Chargers and was one of two Los Angeles linemen to play every offensive snap last season.

— The Tennessee Titans have hired veteran defensive coordinator and former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz as a senior defensive assistant. Schwartz has been a defensive coordinator for 14 NFL seasons, the last five with the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent 10 years with the Titans.

— Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith of Alabama is scheduled to appear in person in Cleveland at the NFL draft later this month. Quarterback Mac Jones, defensive lineman Christian Barmore and cornerback Patrick Surtain II will be there as well from the national champion Crimson Tide. Also attending will be LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, and Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWS

Arizona parts ways with Sean Miller amid NCAA investigation

UNDATED (AP) — Arizona has parted ways with men’s basketball coach Sean Miller as the program awaits its fate in an NCAA infractions investigation. Miller and the Wildcats have been in the NCAA’s crosshairs since being ensnared in a 2017 FBI investigation into shady recruiting practices.

Associate head coach Jack Murphy will serve as interim head coach.

In other college basketball news:

— Tennessee freshman guard Keon Johnson says he’s declaring for the NBA draft and will sign with an agent.

— Michigan State has added high-scoring guard Tyson Walker, a transfer from Northeastern. Walker averaged 18.6 points last season as a sophomore and led the Huskies to an 8-2 record in the Colonial Athletic Association.

— Syracuse forward Marek Dolezaj is not returning to the Orange for a final season and will seek to play professionally. 6-foot-10 native of Slovakia made the announcement Wednesday on social media.

— Graduate transfer center Nysier Brooks has signed to play with Mississippi. Brooks started 25 games last season as a senior and was the Hurricanes’ leading rebounder and shot blocker.

TENNIS-CHARLESTON

Top-ranked Barty cruises in 1st clay event since 2019

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Top-ranked Ashleigh Barty easily won her first clay-court match in two years, cruising past Japan’s Misaki Doi 6-2, 6-1 on Wednesday in the WTA’s Volvo Car Open.

Second-seeded American Sofia Kenin fell to Lauren Davis of the United States in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

FRENCH OPEN-DELAY

French Open postponed by 1 week because of pandemic

PARIS (AP) — The traditional French Open schedule is being disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic for the second year in a row.

Organizers say the clay-court Grand Slam tennis tournament will be delayed by one week because of surging virus cases in France.

The French Open was scheduled to start on May 23 but will now get underway on May 30. The French tennis federation says the decision was taken in order to maximize chances the event will be played “in front of as many spectators as possible” in a safe environment. Last year’s tournament was pushed back to September because of the health crisis and crowds were limited to 1,000 per day.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — They’re the first major gun control measures from President Joe Biden since he took office. He’s announcing executive actions Thursday aimed at addressing what the White House calls a “gun violence public health epidemic. Biden also is nominating David Chipman, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Biden has faced increasing pressure to act after a recent series of mass shootings, but the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action. While the House passed a background-check bill last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden appears ready to let lapse a May 1 deadline for completing a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Orderly withdrawals take time, and Biden is running out of it. Biden has inched so close to the deadline that his indecision amounts almost to a decision to put off a pullout of the remaining 2,500 troops and to continue supporting the Afghan military. Biden suggested in late March it would be difficult logistically to remove all troops in the next three weeks — along with the coalition partners who can’t function separately.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say an explosion and fire early at a manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio, left eight people injured and one person missing. Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin told reporters the explosion happened about 12:05 a.m. at the Yenkin-Majestic Paint facility, triggering a fire. Authorities say some of the injured were able to get out of the plant while others were rescued before being taken to the hospital. Crews early Thursday searched the site and worked to extinguish the fire. Some nearby businesses were evacuated. The cause of the explosion wasn’t immediately known.

(AP) Talks between U.S. and Syrian officials last summer over the fate of journalist Austin Tice and other American hostages foundered over conditions laid out by Damascus and because of a lack of meaningful information provided on the fate of Tice. That’s according to people who spoke to The Associated Press in recent weeks about the secretive talks last August. The Biden administration says hostage recovery is a top priority, but it is possible that the conditions for continued dialogue will remain the same. A senior White House aide at those meetings, Kash Patel, tells the AP that “success would have been bringing the Americans home.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says it has resumed U.S. assistance to the Palestinians, including to the U.N. agency that deals with Palestinian refugees. Nearly all of the funding had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump. The State Department announced Wednesday that it would provide a total of $235 million to projects in the West Bank and Gaza as well as the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. The resumption of assistance was immediately hailed by the agency and the Palestinians, while Israel expressed deep concern. The administration’s policy is meeting opposition from some pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Young people set a hijacked bus on fire and hurled gasoline bombs at police in Belfast in at least the fourth night of serious violence in a week in Northern Ireland, where Britain’s exit from the European Union has unsettled an uneasy political balance. People lobbed bricks, fireworks and gasoline bombs in both directions over the concrete “peace wall” separating Protestant and Catholic areas Wednesday night. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the unrest, and Northern Ireland’s Belfast-based government was holding an emergency meeting Thursday on the violence. The recent violence has flared amid rising tensions over post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland and worsening relations between the parties in the Protestant-Catholic power-sharing Belfast government.

HONG KONG (AP) — Britain is setting up a $59 million fund to help migrants from Hong Kong settle in the country as they escape increasing political repression in the former colony. The offer extends to holders of British National Overseas passports who have been offered special visas, opening a path to work, residency and eventual citizenship to up to 5 million of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million people. China has sharply criticized the special passports and said it will no longer recognize them. Britain says passport holders have had their rights and freedoms restricted by the national security law imposed by Beijing, which has all but shut down opposition voices in Hong Kong. One prominent activist, Nathan Law, has been granted refugee status in the U.K.