– Wayne Byers Show – Morning -Feb 27

CSi Weather…

REST OF TODAY…Cloudy. light snow in the afternoon. Little or no new snow accumulation. Highs in the mid 20s. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent.

.TONIGHT…Cloudy with chance of snow and slight chance of light freezing drizzle. Lows 15 to 20. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 40 percent in the Jamestown area, 20 percent in the Valley City.

.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s. Southeast winds

around 5 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows in the lower 20s.

Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. South winds

5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

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

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Highs around 30.

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

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow.

Highs in the upper 20s.

In addition to the chance of light snow today and tonight, there
is also a chance of freezing drizzle across parts of eastern North
Dakota this evening. This chance will primarily extend from
Langdon and Devils Lake south through Valley City and Gwinner.
While the probability is low at the present time, if freezing
drizzle does develop this evening, travel will be impacted.

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say a fire destroyed a home in Valley City and sent four family members to hospital. Fire Chief Scott Magnuson says that neighbors heard an explosion before the fire broke out about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

He says four people in the home were taken by ambulance to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Magnuson says fire crews were still at the scene Thursday morning putting out hot spots. He says the house is a total loss.

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Fire Hall, on Wednesday morning, was the scene of a display of a prototype ladder fire truck that the Jamestown City Fire Department is interested in purchasing, in place of the old truck taken out of service due to equipment malfunctions and replacement costs.

On hand with the ladder truck and two other fire vehicles on their way for delivery, were representatives of Heiman Fire Equipment, with the ladder truck manufactured by Rosenbauer, with the Cobra Aerial (ladder) Truck.

The ladder truck is on its way to New Town, ND, where it has been purchased.

They said the truck on display in Jamestown has a price tag of $900,000. Jamestown is looking at a model with additional features, and would cost around $1-million. Equipment from the previous ladder truck can be fitted to the new truck, to bring the new one up to standards.

Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the city has received its first donation toward the cost of a new ladder truck for the Fire Department.

Jamestown Fire Chief Jim Reuther says the city had received a $10,000 donation from North Dakota Farmers Union.

On Feb. 2, the Jamestown Fire and Police Committee recommended that the City Council approve a plan of action at its March 2 meeting that would seek to cover the cost of a new $1 million ladder truck with one-third of the money coming from the state of North Dakota and two-thirds of the cost covered by the city of Jamestown and donations from the community and local businesses.

Previously…

At a recent Jamestown City Council Fire Committee meeting, Mayor Heinrich proposed funding options for the $1-millon ladder truck.

Mayor Heinrich proposes the cost to paid from one-third state funds, and the city and local industry cover two-thirds of the cost. He said donations, pledges, payment plans and the like need to extend over a five year period. Once the agreements are reached the city would be able to order the ladder truck.

City Fire Chief Jim Reuther this is the best plan of action, and that it “is doable.”

The committee recommends endorsing the action plan.

Jamestown (Chamber) Members of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce were at The Dakota Store shopping on February 26th to show support for this local business and Chamber member.

This event promotes chamber members helping each other, shopping local, and economic growth. Dakota Store is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. This business is located at 601 1st Ave. South in Jamestown.

For more information on this new member program contact the Chamber office at 701-252-4830.

Bismarck (NDHP) On Friday and Saturday, February 28th & 29th, the North Dakota Highway Patrol will conduct saturation patrols in Cass and Barnes Counties to remove impaired drivers from the road. Impaired driving and impaired driving related motor vehicle crashes continue to be a major threat to the safety of the motoring public throughout North Dakota.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol reminds drivers, “Consuming a substance that makes you feel different such as alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription drugs can make you drive different. Make the responsible choice and plan ahead and designate a sober driver as we all work together toward Vision Zero.” North Dakota’s Vision Zero strategy aims to establish a culture of personal responsibility where motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries are recognized as preventable and not tolerated. The mission is to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes.

Results of these DUI enforcement efforts will be provided following the event.

Jamestown (CSi) The GOP District 12 & 29 Lincoln Day Dinner is Saturday, February 29 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Downtown Jamestown.

The social at 6-pm with followed by the supper and speaker.

North Dakota Republican State Majority House Leader Chet Pollert will MC.

The event is open to the public, regardless of pollical party affiliation.

Proceeds from the dinner to to support helping raise funds for Republican candidates in the districts.

The cost to attend is $20. Register by calling Joyce Heinrich at 701-269-0082.

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVLY-TV) — The North Dakota schools superintendent has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Lt. Steve Fischer of the North Dakota Highway Patrol tells KVLY-TV that Kirsten Baesler was arrested for DUI about 10 p.m. Wednesday night on Memorial Highway in Mandan. The patrol would not comment on what led to the arrest. Department of Public Instruction spokesman Dale Wetzel declined to comment to The Associated Press. Baesler was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. She has said she plans to seek another term.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — American Indian tribes in North Dakota have formed a coalition to address the meteoric rise of electronic pull tabs in the state. Tribal leaders say the machines are competing for gambling dollars at their casinos. They say the proliferation of the Las Vegas-style games across the state is threatening hundreds of casino-related jobs and much-needed revenue in Indian country. Lawmakers approved the games in 2017 and they were launched in August 2018. There are now more than 2,300 machines at 570 sites in North Dakota.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Bismarck man is accused of stealing nearly $50,000 from his employer over a six-month period and gambling the money away, according to a police affidavit. The Bismarck Tribune reports that 35-year-old Denver Tergesen made his initial court appearance Tuesday on a charge of felony theft. A manager at Lucky’s 13 Pub in Bismarck notified police Monday that 136 cash deposits totaling more than $49,500 were missing from the restaurant’s account. Police say Tergesen was in charge of those deposits and when confronted by management initially blamed the problem on a banking error.

In sports…

Wednesday…

Jimmie Basketball…

MITCHELL, S.D. (uj.edu) — Ninth-ranked Dakota Wesleyan University overcame a six-point halftime deficit by outscoring the University of Jamestown men’s basketball team 55-35 in the second half, defeating the Jimmies 90-75 Wednesday night at the Corn Palace.

The loss was the fifth straight for Jamestown, which ends the season at 18-13.

Dakota Wesleyan led 10-8 five minutes into the game, but Mason Walters (FR/Jamestown, ND) started an 8-0 run with a three-pointer that put the Jimmies ahead 16-10 at the 13:25 mark.

UJ led by as many as eight following a three from Terrell Alfred (SR/Orlando, FL) with 10 minutes before the half, but back-to-back three-pointers by the Tigers quickly cut the lead to four.

Jamestown led by as many as seven again with 2:36 in the first, only to have DWU score on consecutive possessions to make it a one-point game. Jack Frazier (SR/Salem, OR)’s jumper and layup sent the Jimmies into the locker room ahead 40-35.

The Jimmies maintained a lead of six points following a Devon Schultz (SO/Arlington, MN) free throw, but a 21-7 Tiger run put the home team in the lead at 66-58 with 6:43 in the game.

UJ got as close as six after Mason Walters converted a three-point play with just over four minutes remaining. Dakota Wesleyan used a 9-0 run over the next 2:36 to stretch the lead to 15 and put the game out of reach.

Walters finished with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Alfred (16), Frazier (12), Isaiah Dobson (SR/Stillwater, MN) (11), and Brady Birch (JR/Melrose, MN) (10) were also in double figures. Schultz came off the bench and tied a career-high with nine points.

Ty Hoglund led DWU (22-8) with 33 points, followed by Collin Kramer’s 25 and Koln Oppold with 15.

Wednesday

UJ Women’s Basketball

GPAC Tournament Quarterfinals

Hastings College 85 Jamestown 66

HASTINGS, Neb. (uj.edu) — The fourth-ranked Hastings College Broncos outscored the University of Jamestown women’s basketball team 24-10 in the first quarter and never looked back, defeating the Jimmies 77-49 in the quarterfinals of the Great Plains Athletic Conference postseason tournament.

Jamestown, now 16-15 on the year, lost for the sixth straight game and will find out on Wednesday, March 4, if they qualify for the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, March 11-17 at the Tyson Events Center.

UJ trailed 6-4 early but the Broncos scored the next seven points to take a 13-4 lead near the midway point of the first.

Kaitlyn Schmit knocked down a three-pointer for Hastings to give them their first 20-point lead of the half with 7:52 before the half.

The Jimmies got a basket from Hannah DeMars (FR/Grand Rapids, MN) on their next possession, but went the final 7:35 without another field goal, scoring their final four points of the half at the foul line.

In the third quarter, UJ got as close as 18 after a Kia Tower (FR/Bigfork, MN) bucket, only to have Hastings respond with a 7-0 run to create a 25-point gap.

The fourth quarter saw Hastings outscore Jamestown by just a 15-13 margin, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Tower led the Jimmies with 12 points and three steals. Emma Stoehr (JR/Woodbury, MN) added seven points and Paige Schmidt (SR/Tappen, ND) chipped in with six. Courtney Mosloski (SR/Fairmont, MN) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Noelle Josephson (SO/Ramsey, MN) and Correy Hickman (JR/Morris, MN) dished out three assists each.

Hastings (29-2) had four players in double figures, led by Sophia Pankratz with 20.

Wednesday

Vikings Women’s Basketball

NSAA Tournament Quarterfinals

At Valley City

Viterbo 85 VCSU 66

VALLEY CITY (VCSU) – The No. 4 Valley City State women’s basketball team finished its season Wednesday night in front of a standing crowd, falling to No. 5 Viterbo University, 85-66.

Viterbo utilized a strong defensive effort Wednesday, tallying 18 steals as a team and scoring 36 points off of 29 Viking turnovers. The V-Hawks’ pressure controlled a majority of the game as Viterbo tallied 23 more shots than the Vikings on Wednesday.

Valley City State shot 41 percent from the field (21-52), 28 percent on 3’s (5-18), and 76 percent from the free throw line (19-25). Viterbo shot 41 percent from the field (31-75), 26 percent on 3’s (18-22), and 81 percent from the free throw line (18-22). The V-Hawks also narrowly out-rebounded the Vikings, 40-38.

The game featured five lead changes in the first quarter as the two teams battled for the advantage. The Vikings held onto an early lead until a 3-pointer from Madison Lindauer tied it up at 7-7 with 4:13 on the clock. The Vikings broke the V-Hawk press to score on a Dani Schwanke 3-pointer to take the lead at 12-11 with 3:01 to go in the first. Over the next three minutes, the V-Hawks took back the lead and finished the first quarter with an 18-16 advantage.

A layup from Macey Kvilvang opened the second quarter and tied the game up at 18-18. A 3-point play from Lindauer started a 14-4 run for the V-Hawks, giving them a double figure lead at 34-24 with 3:34 to play in the half. The V-Hawks continued to extend their lead, holding a 45-28 advantage at halftime.

Trailing 67-48 early in the fourth quarter, a 3-point play from Mackenzie Huber would start a 12-3 Viking run to get as close as 10 points of Viterbo with 6:36 to play. The Vikings trailed by only 10 points again on a pair of free throws from Maara Nelson with 3:10 to play. From there, it was all Viterbo as they sealed the upset, 85-66.

Three Vikings scored in double figures Wednesday, led by senior Mackenzie Huber with 25 points, going 8-for-12 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 on free throws. Dani Schwanke scored 13 points while Maara Nelson added 10. Macey Kvilvang tallied a team-high five assists and four blocks for Valley City State.

Huber finishes her career with 1302 career points, placing her at No. 8 in VCSU scoring history.

Five V-Hawks scored in double figures Wednesday, led by Ambree Schlosser with 23 points and a team-high six rebounds. Madison Lindauer poured in 15 points while Sophie Leinfelder scored 12, Alyssa Nilssen added 11 and Kacie Gross scored 10.

Valley City state finishes the season with a 12-14 overall record. Viterbo improves to 12-14 and continues play at the Final Four of the NSAA tournament beginning Saturday, February 29, in Watertown, S.D.

This evening The Class B Girl’s Regional Basketball Tournament concludes

at the Jamestown Civic Center….

Thursday..

3rd Place Game

6-p.m. Medina-Pingree/Buchanan vs Carrington

Championship Game

20 minutes after 3rd place game

LaMoure-Litchville/Marion vs Kidder County

The Blue Jays Boy’s Hockey Team plays in the EDC quarterfinals vs. Grand Forks Red River this evening at 5:30-p.m., Coverage on WDAY X-tra, CSi-7, fron Scheel’s Arena, in Fargo.

Wednesday…

Men’s College Basketball

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Wanjang Tut scored 19 points as Omaha edged North Dakota 84-83 in overtime. Marlon Ruffin added 18 points for the Mavericks and JT Gibson chipped in 15. KJ Robinson had 12 points for Omaha, which has won four in a row. Filip Rebraca tied a career high with 24 points and had 13 rebounds for the Fighting Hawks. Marlon Stewart added 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Kienan Walter had 16 points and seven rebounds.

NBA…

(AP) Jordan McLaughlin’s layup with just under nine seconds left put Minnesota ahead for good, D’Angelo Russell led all scorers with 27 points and the Timberwolves added to Miami’s late-season stagger and the Timberwolves beat the Heat 129-126. Malik Beasley scored 21 points, Juancho Hernangomez tied a season-high with 17 and McLaughlin added 13 for Minnesota. The Timberwolves were down by 12 with 3:59 left, then closed on a 20-5 run to get just their second victory in 20 games. Kendrick Nunn led Miami with 24 points. Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

— Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics over the skidding Utah Jazz 114-103. Jaylen Brown added 20 points and Marcus Smart had 17 for Boston. All five starters scored in double figures to help the Celtics finish 3-1 on a road trip out West. Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points to lead the Jazz, who lost their fourth straight game — all at home.

— Luka Doncic had 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 13th triple-double of the season, helping Dallas beat San Antonio 109-103. Kristaps Porzingis added 28 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Collin Sexton scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed Philadelphia 108-94 on Wednesday night after 76ers center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) left in the first quarter because of a sprained left shoulder.

The 76ers, already playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, never led against the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and fell to 9-21 on the road.

Embiid collided with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held his shoulder in obvious pain but stayed in the game and missed both free throws.

The Sixers pulled Embiid at the next time stoppage and he walked to the locker room while rubbing his shoulder. He briefly returned to the bench in the second quarter but went back for more evaluation and treatment. At halftime, Embiid rejoined his teammates on the bench with a wrap on his injured shoulder.

Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Larry Nance Jr. had 13 points for Cleveland.

Shake Milton, who replaced Simmons in the starting lineup, scored 20 points.

— Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 63 points as the Houston Rockets sailed to their fifth straight win, 140-112 over the Memphis Grizzlies. Harden piled up 30 points without playing in the fourth quarter and Westbrook, who had 33, sat down for good with about six minutes left. The duo had 46 points by halftime as Houston built a 73-47 lead. Dillon Brooks had 22 points for the Grizzlies, who finished 0-4 on their longest road trip of the season.

— Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Marcus Morris added 18 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 102-92. Los Angeles won its second straight game, bouncing back from a tough stretch that included its only three-game losing streak of the season. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 25 points and 17 rebounds. All-Star guard Devin Booker had a rough night, scoring 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting.

— Evan Fournier (FOHR’-nee-ay) scored 28 points, Aaron Gordon added 25 and the Orlando Magic pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 130-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic solidified their hold on the final playoff spot in the East, putting the Hawks away with a 14-5 spurt. Fournier scored nine points in the game-clinching run, and Gordon finished it off with a 3-pointer. The Hawks lost despite a 37-point effort from Trae Young. John Collins added 26 points but was blocked twice in the fourth quarter to stymie any hopes of an Atlanta comeback.

— Jerome Robinson’s 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left lifted the Washington Wizards to a 110-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets to snap a three-game losing streak. After Robinson gave Washington a 108-106 lead with his 3, Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-point attempt and Robinson added two free throws as Washington won a game in which it squandered an 18-point lead. The ninth-place Wizards trail the seventh-place Nets by five games in the Eastern Conference.

— Terry Rozier scored 26 points, and the Charlotte Hornets handed the New York Knicks their fifth straight loss 107-101. The slumping Devonte Graham returned from a team-mandated night off and scored 21 points. P.J. Washington and Bismack Biyombo each scored 12 points for the Hornets, who snapped a two-game losing skid. Julius Randle finished with 18 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks.

NBA-NEWS

Monk suspended

UNDATED (AP) — Hornets guard Malik Monk has been suspended without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA’s anti-drug program. Monk’s suspension will begin with Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks and continue until he is determined to be in full compliance with the program.

In other NBA news:

— The NBA fined Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) $25,000 Wednesday, two days after he made an obscene gesture on the court and used profane language during a live television interview. The gesture occurred with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Sixers’ 129-112 victory over the Hawks on Monday night. With the clock winding down, Atlanta’s Kevin Huerter came from behind and swiped the ball from Embiid, who was trying to dribble it out. Embiid responded by flashing a middle finger at Huerter. He later apologized.

MEN’S T25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UNDATED (AP) — Darryl Morsell drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left for No. 9 Maryland to cap a comeback from a 16-point halftime deficit and beat Minnesota 74-73. Jalen Smith had 16 points and 12 rebounds, including a soaring rebound and slam with 14.5 seconds remaining that pulled the Terrapins within 73-71. Anthony Cowan Jr. had 10 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Maryland, which maintained a two-game lead for first place in the Big Ten with three games left. Daniel Oturu had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which missed three foul shots in the final 39 seconds. Then the Terrapins hustled the ball up to find Morsell, who had 13 points and nine rebounds, for the winner from NBA range.

— Myles Dread hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to lift No. 16 Penn State over Rutgers 65-64 after the Nittany Lions blew a 21-point lead. Trailing 40-19 late in the first half, the Scarlet Knights tied the game at 62 with 1:32 left in the game on Geo Baker’s layup. His jumper gave Rutgers a two-point lead with 42 seconds remaining. Dread hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to lift Penn State over Rutgers 65-64 after the Nittany Lions blew a 21-point lead. Akwasi Yeboah missed a 3-pointer the other way and Dread was swarmed by his teammates who snapped a two-game losing streak.

— Saddiq Bey scored 23 points and Justin Moore had 21 to lead No. 12 Villanova past St. John’s 71-60 on Wednesday night. Moore hit eight 3-pointers and Bey had seven. The Wildcats honored former Wildcats star Kyle Lowry. Lowry played two seasons for Villanova before he became a five-time NBA All-Star with the defending champion Toronto Raptors. St. John’s were 12 1/2-point underdogs but kept it close until Moore got on a hot streak down the stretch to seal the win.

NHL..

DENVER (AP) — JT. Compher broke a tie on a wrist shot with 8:06 remaining, Martin Kaut scored his first NHL goal and the banged-up Colorado Avalanche won their fourth straight by beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Gabriel Landeskog (LAN’-dehs-kahg) also scored to help the Avalanche vault into second place in the Central Division. Pavel Francouz was sharp in stopping 31 shots. Zemgus Girgensons (ZEHM’-guhz GEER’-gehn-suhnz) and Curtis Lazar scored for the Sabres. They’ve dropped five straight to Colorado.

In other action:

— The Los Angeles Kings spoiled Patrick Marleau’s debut with Pittsburgh in a 2-1 victory over the Penguins. Blake Lizotte had a power-play goal and an assist, Cal Petersen made 36 saves and Trevor Lewis also scored in the last-place Kings’ fourth win in seven games. Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots in Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive regulation loss, matching their total regulation defeats in their previous 22 games since Christmas. Bryan Rust scored with 13:18 to play for the Penguins with an assist from Evgeni Malkin, who played his 900th career game.

— Nick Cousins scored in his Vegas debut and the Golden Knights beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in a matchup between two of the top teams in the Pacific Division. Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore also scored as Vegas won its seventh straight game. Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves to earn his 61st career shutout to tie Turk Broda for 17th all-time. The 16-year-veteran netminder is now 5-0-0 in his last five starts. Vegas improved to 11-3-2 under Peter DeBoer. Edmonton lost for the first time when playing on the second of back-to-back nights, dropping to 6-1-0.

NHL-NEWS

Muzzin out

UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs have suffered another setback on defense with the loss of Jake Muzzin to a broken hand. The Leafs announced that Muzzin will be out about four weeks after suffering the injury during a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Toronto also is missing defensemen Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci because of injuries.

In other NHL news:

— St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has been ruled out from returning to play in the regular season or in the playoffs. Bouwmeester spoke to reporters for the first time since he collapsed on the bench in the first period during a game at the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 11. The 36-year-old Edmonton native was hospitalized and spent five nights in the hospital.

— Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot. Mete suffered the injury during the game in Detroit on Feb. 18. The 21-year-old Mete had four goals and 11 assists in 51 games this season.

— Peter Laviolette (lah-vee-uh-LET’) is returning to the bench after being selected as the coach of the United States men’s national team competing at the world hockey championships in May. The move was announced by USA Hockey on Wednesday, seven weeks after Laviolette was fired by the Nashville Predators. Laviolette ranks 16th in NHL wins with 637 covering four teams over 18 seasons, including the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. He also coached the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.

MLB-UMPIRE PROMOTION

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has appointed its first African American umpire crew chief, promoting Kerwin Danley to the position this week.

A person familiar with the move spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made.

The 58-year-old Danley has worked two World Series and been on the field for 10 other postseason rounds, including the AL Championship Series last year.

He’s also been chosen to call two All-Star Games. Danley called his first game in the majors in 1992 as a minor league fill-in and was hired to the MLB staff in 1998.

MLB

UNDATED (AP) — — Miguel Sano has volunteered to move across the diamond to accommodate Twins newcomer Josh Donaldson. Sano gave up his regular spot at third base, moving to first base, and let Donaldson take his place at third. Sano bounced back from a winter injury last season and hit a career-high 34 home runs. His power helped the Twins set a major league record with 307 homers and win the AL Central.

Oft-injured New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will likely miss opening day because of a strained right calf. Manager Aaron Boone says Stanton was injured near the end of defensive drills yesterday. Yankees star pitcher Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. The AL East champion Yankees open on March 26 at Baltimore.

The Yankees put a major league-record 30 players on the injured list last year, with Stanton missing most of the season.

Meanwhile, Justin Verlander’s spring training debut will be postponed at least a few more days while the Houston Astros ace deals with tightness in his groin. Verlander had been scheduled to start Thursday against Washington. Instead, he will throw a simulated game at the Astros’ complex prior to that exhibition. Houston manager Dusty Baker said the tightness first appeared a couple of days ago. Baker says he isn’t worried about the injury lingering. Verlander won his second Cy Young Award last season by going 21-6 with a 2.52 ERA.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— 31-year-old left-hander South Korean star Kwang Hyun Kim retired all six Miami batters he faced in his first Grapefruit League start for the St. Louis Cardinals. It came after he threw one shutout inning of relief against the New York Mets on Saturday. Kim struggled with control of his off-speed pitches in the first inning, but he found his rhythm in the second. He kept batters off balance mixing a fastball that touched 95 mph with his curve. The Marlins didn’t get a ball out of the infield against Kim.

— Ubaldo Jimenez took another step in his comeback attempt with the Colorado Rockies, pitching two innings against the Texas Rangers. The 36-year-old threw 21 pitches, 14 for strikes. He gave up two hits and one run, with no walks or strikeouts. He last pitched in the majors in 2017 for Baltimore.

— Houston’s Alex Bregman was hit on the back by a breaking ball from St. Louis reliever Ramon Santos, the seventh Astros player plunked in five spring training games. Some opposing players have called for retaliation against the Astros following Major League Baseball’s finding that Houston broke rules against electronic sign-stealing en route to its 2017 World Series title and again in 2018. Dustin Garneau was hit Sunday against Washington, and José Altuve was grazed Monday against Detroit, when Osvaldo Duarte and Alex De Goti also were hit. Aledmys Díaz and Jake Meyers were hit Tuesday by Miami.

— The Houston Astros continued to get booed on the road in spring training as they visited the home of the New York Mets. Former World Series MVP George Springer was heckled as part of Houston’s split squad. Fans are calling the Astros cheaters, and doing it loudly in the wake of their sign-stealing scam. Springer had to hear it for a bit longer on Wednesday. The star leadoff man stepped into the batter’s box a minute before the game was scheduled to begin, giving the crowd extra time to boo him.

NFL-NEWS

Player reps send new CBA to union members for approval

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL and its players are closer to a new collective bargaining agreement and the next decade of labor peace that would come with it. There’s still work to be done to get the deal into the end zone, however. Following a late-night vote on the slim majority approval of the 32 team representatives, the NFL Players Association was preparing to send the current CBA proposal to the full union membership for potential ratification. Last week, owners gave their majority-vote approval. Negotiations have been gone on for the past 10 months. The 17-game regular season is the most significant change.

In other NFL news:

— Former TCU and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges from the 2018 beating of his girlfriend. Boykin and prosecutors agreed to the sentence in return for his guilty plea Wednesday to aggravated assault and witness tampering charges. Boykin’s attorney says his client will be eligible for parole in less than a year. Shabrika Bailey alleged that Boykin broke her jaw in two places in the March 2018 beating. The Seahawks cut Boykin in the wake of the allegation.

— The New York Giants have released linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin, clearing significant salary cap space with the departure of their two most expensive defensive players. The Giants, rebuilding under rookie head coach Joe Judge, gained more than $13 million in salary cap savings by jettisoning the two. Ogletree was twice elected a team captain and accumulated a team-high 173 tackles as the starter at inside linebacker over two seasons with the Giants.

SPORTS-VIRUS OUTBREAK

Japan baseball will play in empty stadiums, Irelands rugby match, Asian soccer postponed

UNDATED(AP) — Japan’s professional baseball league says it will play its 72 remaining preseason games in empty stadiums because of the threat of the spreading coronavirus. The regular season is to open on March 20. The virus that began in China is disrupting all of the country’s sports schedules and has raised concerns about the Tokyo Olympics. They are to open on July 24. Representatives of the baseball league’s 12 teams made the move at a special meeting.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Six Nations rugby match against Italy in Dublin has been postponed because of concerns about the spreading virus in Europe. The Italians were scheduled to play at Ireland on March 7, part of annual rugby competition that also includes England, France, Scotland and Wales. A women’s game the following day was also postponed.

And Asian soccer leaders have postponed two key meetings because of the outbreak.

In world and national news…

NEW YORK (AP) — A new government survey finds that about 40% of American adults are obese. And nearly 1 in 10 are severely obese. Those findings were released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They come from a 2017-2018 health survey that measures height and weight. More than 5,000 U.S. adults took part. The obesity rate has risen about 40% in the last two decades. The severe obesity rate has doubled over that time. One obesity expert says the findings suggest that more Americans will get diabetes, heart disease and cancer. He also says it will be increasingly difficult for doctors to care for so many severely obese people.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan is announcing the closure of schools nationwide to help control the spread of the new virus. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he asked all elementary, middle and high schools to remain closed until spring holidays begin in late March. The measure comes amid growing concern about the rise in the number of untraceable cases in northern Japan and elsewhere. Japan now has more than 890 cases, including 705 from a quarantined cruise ship. Officials in Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido said earlier Thursday that they were closing all 1,600 elementary and middle schools in the island prefecture, with the governor saying the coming one to two weeks are crucial in fighting the virus.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. is “very, very ready” for whatever the new coronavirus threat brings, even as health authorities warn Americans that more infections are coming. Shortly after a presidential news conference Wednesday, the government announced a worrisome development — a new U.S. case that hasn’t been linked to travel abroad. Trump has put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of overseeing the nation’s response. The Republican president has been pushing back against criticism that his administration isn’t doing enough to meet the coronavirus threat. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are calling for much more money than the $2.5 billion the White House has requested.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the nation’s largest labor unions is unveiling plans to invest $150 million in a nationwide campaign to help defeat President Donald Trump. The sweeping effort is focused on eight battleground states and voters of color who typically don’t vote. The investment marks the largest voter engagement and turnout operation in the history of the Service Employees International Union, which claims nearly 2 million members. The campaign will span 40 states and target 6 million voters focused largely in Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. Union president Mary Kay Henry says Trump is “systematically unwinding and attacking unions.”

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Officials say Pope Francis is sick and he skipped a planned Mass with Rome clergy across town on Thursday. The Vatican said the 83-year-old pontiff had a “slight indisposition” and would proceed with the rest of his planned work on Thursday,. But officials say Francis “preferred to stay near Santa Marta,” the Vatican hotel where he lives. There was no word from the Vatican about the nature of his illness, but the pope was seen coughing and blowing his nose during the Ash Wednesday Mass. It comes amid an outbreak of the coronavirus in Italy that has sickened more than 400 people, almost all of them in the north. Rome had three cases, but all three were cured.