– Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Aug 27

CSi Weather…

REST OF TODAY…Mostly cloudy. Chance of thunderstorms through the day. Rain showers likely. Highs around 70. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. Lows in the upper 50s. East winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast after midnight.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds

around 10 mph.

.SUNDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Northwest winds 10 to

15 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Slight chance of rain showers after

midnight. Lows in the lower 50s.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of rain showers.

Highs in the upper 70s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain

showers. Lows in the mid 50s.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of

showers. Lows in the upper 50s.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers.

Highs in the mid 70s.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers and

slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then chance of

rain showers after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of

precipitation 40 percent.

.THURSDAY…Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of rain

showers. Highs in the lower 70s.

More storms may develop Friday evening and night. A few of these
storms may become strong to severe with hail up to the size of
golf balls, wind gusts to 60 mph, and locally heavy rainfall.

Jamestown (NDHP) The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports that a Jamestown man died in a one-vehicle rollover on Thursday evening, August 26, one mile north of Moorton, on Richland County 1, about 10-10 p.m. with the time is still under investigation.

The patrol said the man was driving a 2014 GMC Sierra, negotiating a curve when the vehicle left the roadway, entered the west ditch, struck a field approach, vaulted and rolled. The vehicle came to rest in the west ditch.

The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Also responding to the accident were the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Mooreton Fire Department and Breckenridge (Minnesota) Ambulance.

Jamestown (JPD) The Jamestown Police Department reports that on August 21, 2021, at approximately 2:58-p.m. the Jamestown Police Department received a report of an assault that occurred hours earlier inside a residence in southeast Jamestown. The suspect had already left the residence before officers arrived.

Police Major, Justin Blinsky’s report says, during the investigation, it was alleged the suspect had been invited over to the victim’s residence to visit with several acquaintances. While the suspect and victim were visiting, an argument ensued and escalated into a physical altercation. During the fight, the suspect was alleged to have assaulted the victim by using his hands to strangle the victim around his neck, until the victim’s airway was obstructed and subsequently lost consciousness. Other individuals present in the residence intervened to stop the assault. The suspect then allegedly made terroristic threats to the witnesses of the assault, before leaving the residence.

The 43-year-old victim was later treated for his injuries at Jamestown Regional Medical Center and released.

The suspect was located in southwest Jamestown at approximately 4:12-p.m. He was identified as 42-year-old Kenneth Graham of Jamestown. Graham was arrested on suspicion of the following charges: Aggravated Assault, Terrorizing, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a City of Jamestown Arrest Warrant. He was transported to Stutsman County Corrections, to await formal charges.

Jamestown (JPD) The Jamestown Police Department is warning residents of a high risk registered sex offender who has relocated within Jamestown, ND.

50 year-old Zeferino Carlos Rangel has been assigned a high risk assessment by the North Dakota Attorney General’s risk level committee.

He presently resides at 438 A 2nd Street Southwest, Jamestown, ND

He is a 50 year old, Hispanic or Latino male, five feet four-inches tall, weighing 200 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.

Offense: Gross Sexual Imposition when he had sexual intercourse with a 19 year-old female while she was passed out. He also forced a 14 year-old male and an 8 year-old female to perform oral sex on him on several occasions.

Conviction Date: July 2012 in Pembina County, ND District Court.

Disposition: 25 years, 13 years suspended, 748 days credit, 10 years supervised probation, concurrent.

He is currently on probation with North Dakota Parole and Probation.

Rangel is not currently wanted at this time and has served the sentence imposed by the court. This notification is meant for public safety only and should not increase fear in the community. Any attempts to harass, intimidate or threaten an offender will be turned over for prosecution.

For more information on registered sex offenders, visit sexoffender.nd.gov.

The North Dakota Department of Health dashboard is updated daily by 11 am and includes cases reported through the previous day. The investigations are ongoing and information on the website is likely to change as cases are investigated. The information contained in this dashboard is the most up to date and will be different than previous news releases. This dashboard supersedes information from previous news releases or social media postings.

Check out our other dashboards: The COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, NDUS Dashboard.COVID- 19 stats:

COVID- 19 Stats

Thurs. Aug. 26, 2021

10:30- a.m.

Barnes

New Positives: 3

Total Positives 1458Active: 11

Recovered: 1414

Stutsman

New Positives: 7

Total Positives: 3659

Active: 42

Recovered: 3533

North Dakota

NEW CASES REPORTED THURSDAY, AUG. 26: 363

ACTIVE CASES*: 2,006

DAILY POSITIVITY RATE: 6.2%

TOTAL KNOWN CASES THROUGHOUT PANDEMIC: 116,022

TOTAL RECOVERED THROUGHOUT PANDEMIC: 112,460

ACTIVE HOSPITALIZATIONS: 62

DEATHS: 1

TOTAL DEATHS: 1,556

Valley City (CCHD) City/County Health reports, that testing continues to be important. If you have any symptoms, it is important to be tested. If you have symptoms and need to be tested at other times contact your clinic.

Administrator Theresa Will says testing has moved to the Leevers North Parking Lot, on Mondays and Fridays, with an expanded time 12:30-p.m. to 2:30-p.m. located in a trailer.

Depending if you are asymptomatic, or symptomatic, you will either be tested in your vehicle, or inside the trailer.

She says a dozen people have recently tested positive for the COVID Delta variant.

Boosters are also being given for those with a compromised immune system.

Valley City (VCPS) Valley City Public Schools has reported on the first day of school unofficial enrollment numbers, from August 25.

The news release states:

“We are announcing our unofficial First Day of School student enrollment numbers for the 2021-2022 school year. The total enrollment for our school district sits at 1,048 students in grades K-12. This number is 14 students more than what was projected last spring and 6 fewer students than our ending enrollment in May 2021.

Superintendent Josh Johnson said our current kindergarten class of 84 students is 6 more students than our 10-year average for the school district of 78.7 kindergarten students per year. If you have any questions regarding our school district enrollment, please feel free to contact me via email or phone at the district office at 701.845.0483.”

Josh Johnson

Superintendent

Valley City Public Schools

(701) 845-0483

August-25-VCPSD-Enrollment

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Council met in Special Session Thursday at City Hall.

All members were present. Council Member Schloegel joined by phone.

RESOLUTIONS:

Considered approving the committee recommendation of a preliminary engineering firm for the Project, Reconstruction, Curb and Gutter, Possible Realignment – 12th Ave SE (3rd St to 6th St) scheduled to be bid Spring 2022 and constructed Summer 2022. Another committee recommended Interstate Engineer as the firm and was approved by the Council

ORDINANCES:

Introduced: FIRST READING: Concerning an ordinance to amend and re-enact Section 2-6, Article 1, of the Code of the City of Jamestown, by modifying the competitive bidding on certain contracts.

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

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Council’s Police & Fire, and Public Works Committees met Thursday at City Hall. All members were present. Council Member Schloegel joined by phone.

POLICE & FIRE COMMITTEE

INFORMATIONAL: Police department and municipal court general update, training, COVID-19 protocols and precautions observed, and implemented. Assistant Police Chief, Major Justin Blinsky said the School Resource Officer recently completed training. He pointed out that 350 people attended the recent National Night Out in Jamestown. The police department is being brought up to date with new North Dakota laws that went into effect on August first this year.

INFORMATIONAL: Fire Department update, inspections, training, COVID-19 protocols and precautions observed, and implemented. City Fire Chief Jim Reuther, said another Fire Inspector has been appointed, Mark Chapin.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

The committee recommends approving entering into an agreement with Interstate Engineering, Inc., for the 2022 Water Main Improvement District.

The committee recommends approval of the City to act as the permit holder on the NDDOT Permit and authorizing the Mayor to sign, subject to approval of the City Storm Water Permit and subject to Anne Carlsen entering into the Anne Carlsen Center Pond Agreement.

Recommended was approval of the Anne Carlsen Center Pond Agreement and authorizing the Mayor to sign subject to the City approving the Storm Water Permit. A retention pond will be installed, with approval of the NDDOT.

INFORMATIONAL: City Engineer project were updated. The Highway 20 mill and overlay project is to start in 2022. Finishing the river cleaning, project will grant funding applied for. The First Avenue Road Diet Project is about finished, with a few items to be completed, including some stripes being changed. Mayor Heinrich said he has heard positive comments from the public on the finished project.

The committee recommends approval of Change Order No. 2, to CC Steel, LLC, on Sanitary Sewer Lift Station Improvements District 20-31 (Lift Station 11 & 1 Design), for a $13,776.00 increase in the contract price. City Engineer Travis Dillman said this is a SRF project to be paid back from the city’s utility fund.

Recommended for approval is the plans and specifications for the truck scale at the City Transfer (baler) Facility and approval of the advertisement for bids, already budgeted.

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

Lisbon (NDHP) The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports a pickup pedestrian accident happened Thursday about 9:50-p.m., on Highway 32-at mile marker 35.5 (Lisbon, ND)

A Ford F350 pickup driven by a 42 year old Lisbon man,was traveling south bound on Highway 32 from Lisbon. A 61 year old female pedestrian from Lisbon was reported to be in the south bound lane of Highway 32. The driver of the Ford pickup braked and attempted to swerve away from the female pedestrian. The Ford struck the female pedestrian near the front driver side.

The female pedestrian and Ford pickup came to rest in the south bound lane and right-hand shoulder. The female pedestrian was transported by Lisbon ambulance and flown by Sanford Air Med to Essentia hospital in Fargo to be treated for her serious injuries sustained in the crash.

The crash is under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Agencies Involved: North Dakota Highway Patrol, Ransom County Sheriff’s Department, Sargent County Sheriff’s Department, Lisbon Police Department, Lisbon ambulance, and Sanford Air Med.

Bismarck (NDDoH) The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) has seen a rise in reported West Nile virus (WNV) cases in recent weeks. State health officials are reminding people to continue taking precautions against mosquito bites that can cause WNV infection.

As of August 25, 2021, North Dakota confirmed five human WNV cases, with six pending further results. Of the five cases, four were hospitalized and three were neuroinvasive cases. Of the six pending, two are hospitalized. In addition to human cases, two horses, one bird and 16 mosquito pools have also tested positive for WNV.

“People should be aware of the increase in mosquitoes spreading West Nile virus and take proper precautions to protect themselves from bites,” said Amanda Bakken, epidemiologist with the NDDoH. “Peak WNV activity historically has occurred in August. This is the time to be vigilant and take precautions, not just when people are aware mosquitoes are biting them.”

The NDDoH recommends residents take these precautions to avoid mosquito bites:

Use insect repellent registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that contain ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, 2-undecanone and permethrin (clothing only). Always follow the directions on the manufacturer’s label for safe and effective use.
Wear protective clothing outdoors such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks.
Limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes that can carry WNV are most likely to bite.
Eliminate stagnant water in containers around homes where mosquitoes can lay their eggs (e.g., gutters, buckets, flower pots, old tires, wading pools and birdbaths).
Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your residence.
Maintain a well-trimmed yard and landscape around your home.

Most people infected with WNV experience no symptoms. Those who develop symptoms will commonly report fever, headache, body/joint aches or rash. People who develop severe illness may experience stiff neck, altered mental status, paralysis, coma and possibly death. People over age 60 and those who have underlying health issues are at increased risk for developing West Nile neuroinvasive disease.

For more information on WNV, contact Amanda Bakken at ajbakken@nd.gov, 701.328.2385 or 800.472.2180.

Bismarck (CSi) – Gov. Doug Burgum has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff until sunset Monday, Aug. 30, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in honor and remembrance of the U.S. servicemembers and other victims killed in the terrorist attack on Thursday, Aug. 26, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The governor’s directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Joe Biden. Burgum released the following statement Thursday regarding the attack.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A panel of North Dakota lawmakers has agreed to use the current number of legislators and the districts they represent as a template for redrawing new legislative boundaries. The redistricting committee began the task of redistricting Thursday. When it’s finalized later this year, it likely will show urban areas of the state gaining political strength in the Legislature, and rural parts losing clout due to population shifts in the past decade. North Dakota now has 47 legislative districts, with each represented by two House members and a senator. The state Constitution says the Legislature may have 40 to 54 districts.

WEST BEND, Wis. (AP) — An inmate in a southeastern Wisconsin county jail has been charged with killing another inmate in what the local sheriff called a “vicious, unprovoked attack.” Washington County sheriff’s officials say the 23-year-old inmate was attacked, kicked in the head 28 times at the jail in West Bend Aug. 17 and died over the weekend. A Washington County judge on Wednesday set bond at $750,000 cash for 31-year-old George Telford, of Fargo, North Dakota, who is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and battery to a prisoner. Sheriff Martin Schulteis said it was not a jail fight, it was “an attack on a fellow human being.”

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Four people escaped from an SUV that plunged into the Missouri River in Bismarck. Police say the driver, one of the four occupants, was been arrested on suspicion of driving drunk. Officers responded to the river shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday and found the four in a parking lot and the SUV floating down the river. Authorities say the 21-year-old driver from Interior, South Dakota, apparently confused drive for reverse and accelerated over an embankment and landed in the river. All three passengers and the driver managed to escape through an open passenger window.

In sports…

Valley City (VCSU) — The Valley City State University Vikings took a 24-0 lead and held off the University of Jamestown football team 24-7 Thursday night in the 74th Paint Bucket Game.

Final Score: VCSU 24, Jamestown 7
Records: UJ 0-1, VCSU 1-0
Location: Shelly Ellig Field at Lokken Stadium

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter: After the Jimmies were held to a three-and-out on their opening possession, VCSU went 43 yards on 10 plays but stalled at the UJ 3-yard line. The Vikings settled for a 20-yard Nico Magana field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 6:51 left in the first.

Another three-and-out followed by a 12-yard punt gave the Vikings excellent field possession at the Jimmie 30-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Jalen Pfeifer connected with Jacob Gottenborg on a 30-yard touchdown pass, and Magana’s extra point made it 10-0 VCSU with 3:57 remaining.

VCSU forced a Jimmie punt and took over on the UJ 42 with 1:34 to play in the quarter, but the Jimmies held true and kept the Vikings off the board.

Second Quarter: UJ sustained a six-play, 20-yard drive early in the second, but had to punt for the fourth straight series. The Vikings began their first drive of the quarter with a nine-yard completion from Pfeifer to Benjamin Dumond. Following an incomplete pass, a four-yard run by Joshua McKnight moved the chains. A block in the back penalty pushed the Vikings backwards, and a Colin Kok (SO/Williston, N.D.) sack on third-and-11 resulted in a loss of six yards. Jamestown got the ball back at their own 49 yard line with 7:30 before halftime.

The Jimmies’ next drive lasted just three plays before their fifth punt of the half. A 46-yard pass from Pfeifer to Michael Cornelious on second-and-3 moved VCSU down to the Jimmie 30. Two plays later, a pass for Cornelious was broken up by Rob Anderson (FR/Alexandria, Minn.) in the end zone. Faced with fourth-and-3, the Vikings turned to Justice Bice, and the running back went around right end for a gain of ten. The next two VCSU plays totaled negative-two yards, and the Jimmie defense came up with a turnover as Hershell Jefferson (FR/Pensacola, Fla.) picked off a Pfeifer pass intended for Cornelious to end the Viking drive.

Jamestown turned in its longest drive of the half, covering 63 yards, with the big play coming on a 27-yard pass from Cade Torgerson (JR/Billings, Mont.) to Marcus Giles (JR/Coon Rapids, Minn.). An eight-yard pass to Steve Justice (SO/Henderson, Nev.) and an 11-yard completion to Micah Madyun (FR/Ramsey, Minn.) pushed the Jimmies into the red zone for the first time. On third-and-10, Torgerson was flushed out of the pocket and appeared to have rushing room up the right side, but was tripped up by Sal Avila for just a one-yard gain. Faced with a fourth-and-nine situation and just eight seconds before the half, the Jimmies went for a 33-yard field goal. The kick went wide left, and the half ended 10-0 in favor of VCSU.

Third Quarter: The Vikings started the second half with the ball and were hampered by a personal foul penalty that resulted in a punt. On second-and-11 on the ensuing drive, Torgerson hit Javon Bowie-Monteiro (JR/Sacramento, Calif.) in stride for a 32-yard gain, moving the Jimmies up to the VCSU 49. Jamestown went for it on fourth-and-5, but Torgerson’s pass to Bowie-Monteiro came up a yard short and VCSU took over on downs.

Pfeifer led VCSU to the end zone with 6:24 in the third quarter, completing a 30-yard pass to Cornelious on third-and-9 to extend the lead to 17-0. The quarterback turned in runs of 11 and 10 yards on two separate third downs, and converted another first down on a 23-yard pass to Dumond.

Jamestown marched down the field thanks to a 33-yard Torgerson completion to Isaiah Roebuck (FR/Marana, Ariz.), then a Vikings pass interference and roughing the passer penalty got the Jimmies to the VCSU 10. An illegal snap penalty on third-and-10 pushed the Jimmies back five yards, and on fourth-and-15, Torgerson’s pass intended for Bowie-Monteiro sailed high out of the back of the end zone, giving VCSU the ball on downs.

Fourth Quarter: Pfeifer ended the third quarter with a 35-yard dart to Dumond to put VCSU at midfield, but Jordan Olson (JR/Prior Lake, Minn.) came up with UJ’s second interception of the game, picking off a pass intended for Dumond at the UJ 5 yard line. VCSU responded with an interception of their own as Ashton Raquino tipped a Torgerson pass into the waiting arms of Jerrod Williamson. One play later, Pfeifer found Bice on a 25-yard scoring pass, and the Magana extra point made it 24-0 with 13:03 to play.

The Jimmies got on the board with 7:12 remaining with a defensive touchdown. Jed Rantz (FR/Arroyo Grande, Calif.) stripped Joshua McKnight at the UJ 43, and Olson scooped up the loose ball, going 57 yards to the end zone. The extra point by Noah Vogelpohl (FR/Dayton, Minn.) made it 24-7.

Key Stats: Torgerson finished 20-of-46 passing for 214 yards…Roebuck, Giles, Justice, Madyun, and Frankie Ingraldi (FR/Colorado Springs, Colo.) each caught three passes…Roebuck had 45 yards receiving, followed by Bowie-Monteiro with 36 and Giles with 35…Jamestown was held to -7 yards on 17 carries…Ethan Helton (FR/Wildomar, Calif.) led the defense with eight total tackles, while Kok, Olson, and Anderson all had seven.

Up Next: The Jimmies will have a bye week before opening GPAC conference action September 11 against Mount Marty (S.D.) University in the first game in newly renovated Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium.

Bismarck (PlayNorthStar.com) – The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) head men’s golf coaches had tabbed Bellevue (Neb.) as its favorite to win the conference title, the preseason conference poll was announced Thursday. The Bruins won the previous two North Star Athletic Association tournament titles. The head coach is allowed to vote for their own team in the preseason poll.

Bellevue collected four first-place votes and tallied 33 points to secure the top spot in the poll. Waldorf (Iowa) was picked to finish second after recording 28 points with a first-place vote. Viterbo (Wis.) earned the final first-place vote and finished third with 27 points.

Dickinson State (N.D.) registered 17 points to place fourth in the poll, followed by Valley City State (N.D.) fifth with 13 points and Dakota State (S.D.) sixth with eight points.

The North Star Athletic Association Men’s Golf Championship will be held on April 25-26, 2022, in Forest City, Iowa. This year’s conference tournament is hosted by Waldorf.

The winner of the NSAA Men’s Golf Conference Tournament will receive an automatic team bid to the national tournament. The NAIA Men’s Golf National Tournament remains at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. on May 17-20, 2022.

Bellevue (Neb.) is the league head coaches’ unanimous pick to win the 2022 North Star Athletic Association women’s golf team title, the conference preseason poll was announced Thursday afternoon. The Bruins, who had won the last two North Star titles, collected all six first-place votes for 36 points.

The league head coaches can vote for their own team.

Viterbo (Wis.) was second with 28 points in the preseason poll. Waldorf (Iowa) edged out Dickinson State (N.D.) by one point to finish third. The Warriors tallied 21 points, while the Blue Hawks registered 20 points. Valley City State (N.D.) was picked to finish fifth with 11 points, followed by Dakota State (S.D.) sixth with 10 points.

The North Star Athletic Association Women’s Golf Conference Tournament will be hosted by Waldorf (Iowa) in the spring on April 25-26, 2022.

The winner of the NSAA Women’s Golf Conference Tournament will receive an automatic team bid to the national tournament. The NAIA Women’s Golf National Tournament is slated to take place at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Okla. on May 24-27, 2022.

Below is the complete listing of the 2021-22 NSAA Women’s Golf Preseason Coaches’ Poll:

2020-21 North Star Athletic Association Women’s Golf Coaches’ Preseason Poll
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	Bellevue (Neb.) (6)	36
2	Viterbo (Wis.)	28
3	Waldorf (Iowa)	21
4	Dickinson State (N.D.)	20
5	Valley City State (N.D.)	11
6	Dakota State (S.D.)	10

Below is the complete listing of the 2021-22 NSAA Men’s Golf Preseason Coaches’ Poll:

2021-22 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Golf Coaches’ Preseason Poll
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	Bellevue (Neb.) (4)	33
2	Waldorf (Iowa) (1)	28
3	Viterbo (Wis.) (1)	27
4	Dickinson State (N.D.)	17
5	Valley City State (N.D.)	13
6	Dakota State (S.D.)	8

MLB…

— Bobby Dalbec homered twice and had seven RBIs in the Red Sox’ 12-2 dismantling of the Twins. Chris Sale joined Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers in big league history to strike out the side in order on just nine pitches three times in their career. Rafael Devers hit his 30th to help Sale improve to 3-0 in three starts since coming back from Tommy John surgery.

UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to own the second-best record in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately for them, they are staring at the possibility of playing in the National League Wild Card game.

San Francisco still leads the NL West by 2 1/2 games over the Dodgers following the Giants’ 3-2 win over the Mets. Darin Ruf furnished a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning to give the Giants a three-game sweep of the Mets.

Kris Bryant’s second home run in as many days put San Francisco ahead, 2-0 lead in the first inning and helped the Giants improve to a major league-best 83-44.

The Mets wasted Pete Alonso’s two-run blast and finished 2-11 in a 13-game stretch against the Giants and Dodgers.

The Dodgers kept pace as Max Scherzer won his eighth straight decision in a 4-0 shutout of the Padres. Scherzer struck out 10 and limited the slumping Padres to two hits over 7 2/3s.

The Dodgers made the most of five hits as Austin Barnes smacked a two-run homer in the third to open the scoring.

Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep and won for the 16th time in its last 18 games.

The Padres are two games behind Cincinnati for the second NL wild card.

In Thursday’s other major league action:

— Nick Ahmed and Carson Kelly slammed two-run homers while the Diamondbacks built an 8-2 lead before fending off the Phillies, 8-7. Arizona almost wasted a strong outing by Zac Gallen, who was reached for two unearned runs and five hits over five innings. The Phils scored five in the ninth before losing for the seventh time in nine games, putting them six games behind the NL East-leading Braves.

— Jonathan India smacked a three-run homer and Sonny Gray tossed six shutout innings to lead the Reds to a 5-1 victory over the Brewers. India’s blast made it 4-0 in the fifth, one inning before Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH’-nohs) went deep. Cincinnati is back within 8 1/2 games of the NL Central-leading Brewers after avoiding a three-game sweep.

— The Pirates trailed 7-3 before exploding for eight runs in the seventh inning of an 11-7 comeback over the Cardinals. Bryan Reynolds and Wilmer Difo (DEE’-foh) hit two-run singles to tie it, Gregory Polanco added a two-run double and Yoshi Tsutsugo (soot-SOO’-goh) capped the rally with a two-run homer. St. Louis led 7-1 until Colin Moran’s two-run homer in the third.

— Jorge Alfaro and Miguel Rojas homered for the Marlins in a 7-5 win versus the Nationals. Rookie Bryan De La Cruz had three hits to raise his average to .353 since Miami acquired him from Houston on July 30. Brian Anderson had two hits and two RBIs for the Marlins, who won their second straight since an eight-game losing streak.

— The Yankees squandered a 6-0 lead before running their winning streak to 12 games with a 7-6 downing of Oakland. Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner and Joey Gallo hit home runs, but the Yankees needed Aaron Judge’s RBI single in the ninth to get within four games of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Chapman, Sean Murphy and Josh Harrison homered for the Athletics, who dropped their fifth in a row to fall two games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros.

— Carlos Rodón (roh-DAHN’) returned to the mound and allowed two runs over five innings of the White Sox’s 10-7 win at Toronto. Rodón was reached for five hits hours after being activated off the injured list. Luis Robert hit a two-run home run for the White Sox, who also got solo shots from José Abreu (ah-BRAY’-oo), César Hernández and Eloy (EE’-loy) Jiménez.

— The Royals beat the Mariners, 6-4 as Salvador Perez crushed his fourth career grand slam in a five-run sixth. Perez has hit five of his 35 home runs this season during the first seven games of Kansas City’s road trip. Kyle Seager hit his 30th home run for Seattle, which fell 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card berth.

— First-inning homers by Myles Straw and Bradley Zimmer sparked the Indians’ 10-6 win over the Rangers. Zimmer had three RBIs for Cleveland, which wasted a 4-0 lead before Andres Gimenez delivered an RBI double in a four-run fourth. Owen Miller also homered for the Indians.

— Pedro Severino launched a grand slam and had a career-high six RBIs as the Orioles clobbered the Angels, 13-1. Keegan Akin allowed one run over seven innings to help Baltimore win its second straight since a 19-game losing streak. Akin blanked Los Angeles after Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) smacked his major league-leading 41st home run on the game’s second pitch.

MLB-NEWS

Hoskins out for rest of season

UNDATED (AP) — The Phillies’ fading playoff hopes have taken another blow.

Rhys Hoskins says he will miss the rest of the season with an abdominal tear that requires surgery. Hoskins leads the Phillies with 27 homers and 71 RBIs despite playing through the injury all season.

He spent two weeks on the injured list, returned to the lineup Sunday and hit two homers in a win at San Diego.

The Phillies have dropped six of their last eight to fall five games behind the NL East-leading Braves.

Also around the majors:

— Mookie Betts was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his return to the Dodgers’ lineup. The outfielder missed 16 games with right hip inflammation. He’s hitting .272 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs.

— Giants second baseman Donovan Solano tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday and will be sidelined for at least 10 days. Manager Gabe Kapler said the club had completed contact tracing and only hitting coach Justin Viele will be away from the team as a result of Solano’s positive test.

NFL-NEWS

Tannehill among 9 Titans on COVID-19 list.

UNDATED (AP) — The Tennessee Titans’ coronavirus outbreak has grown to nine people. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was among three players added to the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

General manager Jon Robinson says Tannehill, tight end Geoff Swaim and linebacker Justin March-Lillard are joining four other players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. That makes three Titans starters out, along with coach Mike Vrabel and special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman.

Meanwhile, Bills coach Sean McDermott has expressed frustration with his team’s relatively low vaccination rate while saying there’s little more he can do to persuade his players to get the shot. The Bills are considered to be at the lower end of the NFL scale in having about 80% of their players vaccinated. McDermott’s comments came two days after four unvaccinated Bills players were required to go into five days of self-isolation after having contact with a team trainer who tested positive for COVID-19.

In other NFL news:

— Odell Beckham Jr.’s comeback is closer to completion. The Browns wide receiver took his first snaps in team drills during Thursday’s practice, a major step in his return from season-ending knee surgery. Beckham suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 7 last season against Cincinnati and wasn’t a part of Cleveland’s run to the playoffs.

— Giants running back Saquon (SAY’-kwahn) Barkley participated in 7-on-7 drills for the first time this preseason during the final day of joint practices between the Giants and Patriots. It was the latest step in his nine-plus months of rehabilitation from surgery after he suffered a torn ligament in his right knee.

— Patriots quarterback Cam Newton returned for the first time since what coach Bill Belichick called a “misunderstanding” of NFL COVID-19 protocols last week. Newton is trying to hang onto the starting job as he competes with Mac Jones, who was taken 15th overall in this year’s draft.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MEMPHIS

Rasheed Wallace added to Memphis staff

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis coach Penny Hardaway has added 16-year NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace as an assistant coach on a staff that also features former coach Larry Brown.

Wallace won the 2004 NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons where he was coached by Brown. He was a four-time All-Star and reached 14 postseasons.

The announcement comes a day after five-star Emoni Bates announced his commitment to Memphis for the upcoming season.

NHL-NEWS

Couturier, Svechnikov get 8-year pacts

UNDATED (AP) — NHL forwards Sean Couturier (koo-TOOR’-ee-ay) and Andrei Svechnikov (SVEHCH’-nih-kahv) have accepted eight-year contracts.

The Philadelphia Flyers have inked Couturier to a $62 million package that counts $7.75 million against the salary cap. The deal begins next season and runs through 2029-30.

The 2020 Selke Trophy winner had 18 goals and 41 points as Philadelphia’s top-line center last season.

Svechnikov’s contract with the Carolina Hurricanes also carries an average annual value of $7.75 million a year. The 21-year-old Svechnikov has been a fixture and physical presence on Carolina’s top line alongside Sebastian Aho (AH’-hoh) and Teuvo Teravainen (TOO’-voh tehr-uh-VY’-nehn).

PGA-BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

McIlroy, Rahm, Burns share BMW lead

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Rory McIlroy holed an eagle putt from just outside 10 feet on the par-5 16th on his way to an 8-under 64, giving him a share of the lead with Jon Rahm and Sam Burns through one round of the PGA’s BMW Championship.

McIlroy hasn’t opened with a score this low since a 64 at the Tour Championship last year.

Rahm had five birdies on the front and kept bogeys off his card, the 15th time in his last 17 rounds he’s shot in the 60s.

Sergio Garcia is one shot back and one ahead of Abraham Ancer (AN’-sur) and Patrick Cantlay.

HOCKEY-WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Canada ends US win streak

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The US women’s hockey team has seen their winning streak at the women’s championships end at 29 games.

Jamie Lee Rattray scored twice as Canada overwhelmed the United States 5-1 to win Group A. It is the first loss for the Americans in the tournament since the Canadians beat them 3-2 in a shootout on April 2, 2013.

Canada posted a 4-0 record in group play, while the United States was 3-1.

In world and national news…

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Evacuation flights from Afghanistan have resumed with new urgency, a day after two suicide bombings targeted the thousands of desperate people fleeing the Taliban takeover and killed more than 100. The U.S. warned more attacks could come ahead of the looming deadline for foreign troops to leave. As the call to prayer echoed through Kabul on Friday, the anxious crowd outside the airport was as large as ever. Dozens of Taliban members patrolled one area about 500 meters from the airport to prevent anyone from venturing beyond. Afghan and U.S. officials said Thursday’s bombings near Kabul’s international airport killed at least 95 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops. Officials warned the toll could be higher. It was the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since August 2011.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the United States will complete its evacuation of Americans and others from Kabul, despite the attack that killed at least 13 U.S. service members and many Afghan civilians. He vowed to avenge the deaths, saying the U.S. has some idea of who perpetrated the attack and will hunt them down. Continuing the evacuation means Biden risks more deaths, but the alternative would be an early end to the pullout and leaving behind Americans still seeking to leave the country. As many as 1,000 Americans and many more Afghans are still struggling to get out of Kabul. Biden ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff to honor the service members who were killed.

SINGAPORE (AP) — World stocks are generally edging higher as investors await more guidance on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s easing plans. Germany’s DAX climbed almost 0.1% in early trading while the FTSE 100 in Britain rose 0.1%. Wall Street was positioned for gains. Markets are awaiting comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is to speak at the central bank’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later Friday. Any indications of when the bank will start scaling back on asset purchases will be closely watched. So will any signs of concern about the coronavirus delta variant, which could signal a cautiousness toward tapering, analysts say.

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Ida has prompted a hurricane watch for New Orleans and an emergency declaration for the state of Louisiana as it pushes across the Caribbean toward an anticipated strike on Cuba Friday. Forecasters say Ida could be near major hurricane strength by the time it reaches the northern Gulf Coast. That’s projected to happen sometime late Sunday or early Monday. Tropical Storm Ida is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Dangerous storm surge is possible for the Gulf Coast depending on the tide by the time the system reaches the U.S.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A strengthening Tropical Storm Nora is rolling toward a possible hurricane brush with Mexico’s Pacific Coast over the weekend and later a strike on the Baja California Peninsula. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm could bring dangerous flash floods and mudslides through the weekend. It’s likely to graze the point below the Puerto Vallarta region on Saturday and then possibly hit the Los Cabos resort region on Monday. Nora had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) Thursday afternoon, and it’s expected to reach hurricane force on Saturday. It’s a big system, with tropical storm-force winds extending as far as 205 miles (335 kilometers) from the center.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — A community on the shore of Lake Tahoe issued an emergency declaration and a tourism group discouraged visitors from coming amid smoky skies from a major wildfire. South Lake Tahoe declared an emergency Thursday to be better prepared if evacuations are ordered and the community is threatened by the Caldor Fire. Some residents under evacuation warnings cleared up pine needles and flammable debris from their homes; others fled. Firefighters were trying to stop the fire before winds and temperatures pick up and humidity drops. The fire is one of nearly 90 blazes burning in the West.