Posted on

CROOKSTON PIRATE FALL SPORTS PRACTICE BEGINS MONDAY

The first official day of Minnesota State High School League Fall practices is Monday, August 12. The list of the Crookston High School Fall sports team’s first practice times are listed below-

VOLLEYBALL – (7-12 grades at CHS Gymnasium)
Monday, August 12, from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the Crookston High School Gym

GIRLS TENNIS – (At the CHS Tennis Courts)
Monday, August 12 – Varsity and J.V. will practice from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Monday, August 12 – Junior High practice is from 10:30 a.m. to Noon

BOYS SOCCER – (At CHS Soccer Fields)
Monday, August 12 – Practice from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER – (At CHS Soccer Fields)
Monday, August 12
Full-team practice 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.
Goalies – 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Full-team – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

FOOTBALL – (9-12 graders – At the UMC Football Field)
Practice – 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.
Chalk Talk – 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Practice – 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

The Crookston Pirate Fall sports coaches are –

Football
Head – Nate Lubarski (4th year)
Assistants:  Devin Barton, Jim McBride
JV –  Joshua Baatz and Alex Dillabough
8th Grade –  Tim Moe, Kory Baril
7th Grade –  Payton Kleinhuisen, Lukus Manska
Volunteer – Alex Koepsell

Volleyball
Head – Katie Engelstad   (4th Year)
Assistant:  Brandi Nesseth
9th Grade –  Molly Cordes
8th Grade –  Lynnea Oman
7th Grade –  Jennifer Ehlen

Girl’s Tennis
Head – Gina Gunderson – 2nd
Assistant: Katie Fee
Junior High:  Leah Winjum

Girl’s Soccer
Head – Sarah Keller
Assistants: Anna Brekken, Shelly Erdmann

Boy’s Soccer
Head – Lon Boike  (6th Year)
Assistant:  Jason Tangquist
Junior High: Chernor Jallo

Trainer:  Luke Biermaier

CLICK HERE to view the Fall Sports schedules.

The post CROOKSTON PIRATE FALL SPORTS PRACTICE BEGINS MONDAY appeared first on KROX.

Posted on

UMC VOLLEYBALL PICKED TO FINISH 14TH IN THE NSIC COACHES PRESEASON POLL

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its annual NSIC Volleyball Coaches preseason poll. The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles were picked to finish 14th in the 15-team league, one spot ahead of Minot State. Minot State was the unanimous last-place pick, while UMC was the unanimous 14th-place pick.

Wayne State College, who finished 31-3 on the year, was picked to finish first, earning 12 first place votes. Nine-time National Champion, Concordia-St.Paul, earned one first place vote and was second. St. Cloud State was picked to finish third, while Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth round out the top five. 

St. Cloud State senior Kenzie Foley was named the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year.

1. Wayne State (12) – 194
2. Concordia-St. Paul (1) – 178
3. St. Cloud State (2) – 177
4. Southwest MN State – 150
5. UM- Duluth – 148
6. Winona State – 122
7. Northern State – 121
8. Sioux Falls – 110
9. Minnesota State Mankato – 89
10. Augustana – 83
11. Bemidji State – 67
12. Mary – 48
13. MSU-Moorhead – 47
14. UMC – 27
15. Minot State – 14

UMC will have their first fall practice on Monday, August 19, and open the regular season in Pueblo, Colorado, on September 5 against Cal State East Bay.

The post UMC VOLLEYBALL PICKED TO FINISH 14TH IN THE NSIC COACHES PRESEASON POLL appeared first on KROX.

Posted on

ANDOVER TOWNSHIP FILING IS OPEN THROUGH AUGUST 13

Notice is hereby given to all qualified voters of Andover Township that filing for town office will be open until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13. Affidavits of candidacy shall be filed with the Andover Township Clerk at 27802 305th Street SW, Crookston, MN 56716. The filing fee is $2.

Offices to be filled are – Supervisor B and Treasurer. Both are four-year terms.

If you have any questions, call 218-289-1508.

The post ANDOVER TOWNSHIP FILING IS OPEN THROUGH AUGUST 13 appeared first on KROX.

Posted on

MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP FUND PAC ENDORSES STEVE GANDER

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fund PAC announced today its endorsement of Steve Gander for the Minnesota House in the upcoming November 5 general election. “Steve Gander understands what it takes to grow Minnesota in today’s challenging economy. This endorsement reflects his willingness to support Minnesota employers and employees in House District 01B and around the state” said Laura Bordelon, Treasurer of the Leadership Fund PAC.

The Leadership Fund PAC Board uses specific criteria to determine its endorsements, including responses to its candidate questionnaire, leadership on key business issues and voting records of incumbent candidates. Click here for a list of all candidates endorsed by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fund PAC.

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fund PAC is a state-registered political action committee. The PAC represents supporters from across Minnesota organized to promote the election of pro-business, pro-jobs candidates to offices in Minnesota state government.

The post MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP FUND PAC ENDORSES STEVE GANDER appeared first on KROX.

Posted on

Arizona woman charged in fake elector scheme pleads guilty

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump appears during a rally Oct. 10^ 2016^ at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre^ Pennsylvania. WILKES-BARRE^ PENNSYLVANIA/USA – OCTOBER 10^ 2016

One of the 11 Republicans charged in Arizona’s fake lector scheme during the 2020 election pleaded guilty. Loraine Pellegrino, a Republican activist and the former president of the group Ahwatukee Republican Women who signed a document falsely claiming former President Donald Trump had won Arizona in the 2020 election, has now become the first person to be convicted in the state’s fake elector case.

Arizona Attorney General’s Office spokesperson Richie Taylor said Tuesday that Pellegrino pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false document, while the other charges against her were dismissed. Pellegrino had been facing nine felonies for her role in what Arizona Attorney General Kristin Mayes said was a conspiracy designed to “prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency.” Court records show Pellegrino was sentenced to unsupervised probation.

Pellegrino and 10 other people who had been nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors had met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign the false document. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives. Seventeen other people had been charged in the case, including the 10 other Republicans who had signed a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claimed Trump had carried Arizona in the 2020 election. Former president Donald Trump, who was indicted for alleged election interference in Georgia, was not charged in the Arizona case, but the indictment referred to him as “unindicted co-conspirator 1.”

Pellegrino’s attorney Joshua Kolsrud said in a statement: “Loraine Pellegrino’s decision to accept a plea to a lesser charge reflects her desire to move forward and put this matter behind her. She has taken full responsibility for her actions, demonstrating her commitment to upholding the law and contributing positively to the community. The sentence of unsupervised probation with community service acknowledges her remorse and willingness to make amends.”

On Monday, former Trump’s campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, who worked closely with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, entered a cooperation agreement with prosecutors who have asked for her charges to be dismissed. Ellis also pleaded guilty in Georgia to charges related to her support of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Indicted in the Arizona case were people who posed as fake electors in the state as well as Trump associates Rudolph Giuliani, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, Jenna Ellis, Christina Bobb and Michael Roman. They were all charged with nine felony counts. Dozens of the fake electors have been criminally charged in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin and Nevada.

Editorial credit: Matt Smith Photographer / Shutterstock.com

Posted on

Wrongful death lawsuit filed in OceanGate’s Titan submarine disaster for $50 million

Missing Titanic submarine OceanGate place of disappearance on map. Selective focus on map.

The estate of a Titanic researcher who was among the five people killed when the Titan submersible imploded while on a deep-dive voyage to the site of the famous shipwreck last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OceanGate -the operator of the tourist submersible that catastrophically failed.

The family of French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday in King County, Washington against OceanGate, saying that the crew experienced “terror and mental anguish” before the disaster and accusing the sub’s operator of gross negligence. Nargeolet was one of five people who died when the Titan submersible imploded during a voyage to the famed Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic in June 2023. There were no survivors aboard the experimental submersible owned by OceanGate, who had sold seats on the vessel for $250,000 each, billing the trip as a chance to “become one of the few to see the Titanic with your own eyes.”

OceanGate CEO and cofounder Stockton Rush was operating the Titan when it imploded; in addition to Rush and Nargeolet, the implosion killed British adventurer Hamish Harding and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.  OceanGate, based in Washington state, has since suspended operations. In the wake of the incident, industry experts were said to have raised serious safety concerns about the project years earlier, even warning in 2018 that OceanGate’s experimental approach to the design of the Titan could lead to potentially “catastrophic” outcomes.

According to the lawsuit, Nargeolet — known as “Mr. Titanic” — participated in 37 dives to the Titanic site, the most of any diver in the world. He was regarded as one of the world’s most knowledgeable people about the famous wreck. Attorneys for his estate said in an emailed statement that the “doomed submersible” had a “troubled history,” and that OceanGate failed to disclose key facts about the vessel and its durability.

According to the lawsuit, the Titan “dropped weights” about 90 minutes into its dive, indicating the team had aborted or attempted to abort the dive: “while the exact cause of failure may never be determined, experts agree that the Titan’s crew would have realized exactly what was happening. Common sense dictates that the crew were well aware they were going to die, before dying …The crew may well have heard the carbon fiber’s crackling noise grow more intense as the weight of the water pressed on Titan’s hull. The crew lost communications and perhaps power as well. By experts’ reckoning, they would have continued to descend, in full knowledge of the vessel’s irreversible failures, experiencing terror and mental anguish prior to the Titan ultimately imploding.”

The lawsuit also alleges that OceanGate failed to disclose the Titan’s flaws and purposely concealed its shortcomings to Nargeolet, even though he had been designated a member of the vessel’s crew by the company. Nargeolet would not have participated in the voyage if he had been aware of the Titan’s issues, the suit claims.

Tony Buzbee, one of the attorneys for the family of Nargeolet, said in a statement: “The lawsuit alleges serious issues with the Titan submersible. I think it is telling that even though the University of Washington and Boeing had key roles in the design of previous but similar versions of the Titan, both have recently disclaimed any involvement at all in the submersible model that imploded.”

A spokesperson for OceanGate declined to comment on the lawsuit, however court papers state that the defendants must respond to the complaint in the coming weeks.  After the sub’s implosion, the U.S. Coast Guard quickly convened a high-level investigation, which is ongoing. A key public hearing that is part of the investigation is scheduled to take place in September.

Editorial credit: Rokas Tenys / Shutterstock.com

Posted on

SPORTS FEEVER – August 8, 2024

SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com

The first official day of Minnesota State High School League Fall practices are Monday, August 12.

Crookston High School Fall sports team’s first practice times are listed below-

VOLLEYBALL – (7-12 grades at CHS Gymnasium)
Monday, August 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the Crookston High School Gym

GIRLS TENNIS – (At the CHS Tennis Courts)
Monday, August 12 – Varsity and J.V. will practice from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Monday, August 12 – Junior High practice is from 10:30 a.m. to Noon

BOYS SOCCER – (At CHS Soccer Fields)
Monday, August 12 – Practice from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER – (At CHS Soccer Fields)
Monday, August 12
Full-team practice 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.
Goalies – 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Full-team – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

FOOTBALL – (9-12 graders – At the UMC Football Field)
Practice – 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.
Chalk Talk – 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Practice – 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

The Crookston Pirate Fall sports coaches are –

Football
Head – Nate Lubarski (4th year)
Assistants:  Devin Barton, Jim McBride
JV –  Joshua Baatz and Alex Dillabough
8th Grade –  Tim Moe, Kory Baril
7th Grade –  Payton Kleinhuisen, Lukus Manska
Volunteer – Alex Koepsell

Volleyball
Head – Katie Engelstad   (4th Year)
Assistant:  Brandi Nesseth
9th Grade –  Molly Cordes
8th Grade –  Lynnea Oman
7th Grade –  Jennifer Ehlen

Girl’s Tennis
Head – Gina Gunderson – 2nd
Assistant: Katie Fee
Junior High:  Leah Winjum

Girl’s Soccer
Head – Sarah Keller
Assistants: Anna Brekken, Shelly Erdmann

Boy’s Soccer
Head – Lon Boike  (6th Year)
Assistant:  Jason Tangquist
Junior High: Chernor Jallo

Trainer:  Luke Biermaier

— — —

Warroad Warrior Girls Hockey Coach David “Izzy” Marvin has received apologies from the group of parents who made false claims about him after an out-of-court settlement. Six people admitted they shared information that was untrue and damaged Marvin’s reputation.

Marvin filed a lawsuit in November of 2023, and they were looking for a jury trial, but the case was solved out of court. Jeff and Patti Johnson, and Coreen Lindquist, and had to give written statements apologizing to Marvin.

Kristen Coauette Johnson did not have to issue an apology, but had to take down two social media posts of the letter the other parents signed. Coauette Johnson admitted no fault, no liability, and did not have to apologize or retract any statement.
Marvin cannot defame  Coauette Johnson on social media or her family and she cannot defame him on social media or his family.

Shana and Matt Lanctot were required to submit a written apology and also make a $5,000 donation in Marvin’s name to a charity (Sophie’s Squad).

— — —

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle men’s basketball program announced the signing of a trio of junior college transfers. Christian Bowen-Webb (Atchison, Kan.), Micah Garrett (Portland, Ore.), and GD Deng (Des Moines, Iowa) signed their letters of intent and will be Golden Eagles next season.

Christian Bowen-Webb (Jr., G, Atchison, Kan.)
Bowen-Webb was a part of Barton Community College team winning a National Championship. He averaged 5.1 points per game and shot 42.1 percent from the three-point range. Bowen-Webb played in 35 games and was an 84.2 percent free throw shooter. Bowen-Webb was a two-time High School State Champion and was named to the 4A First Team All-State team.
Bowen-Webb is the son of Malinda Jolly and Avery Webb, both of Atchison, Kan. He plans to major in Sports and Business Management at UMC.

Micah Garrett (Jr. Portland, Oregon)
Garrett averaged 17.9 PPG on the season at Lane Community College and shot 42 percent from long range. Garrett was named to the All-Conference First Team and was a JUCO All-American at Lane Community College.
Garrett is the son of Mary Betson and Gabe Garrett, both of Portland. He is undecided on his major at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

GD Deng (Jr., G, Des Moines, Iowa)
In 2023-24 at Pierce College in Los Angeles, Deng played in 27 games, starting 18. Deng averaged 10.1 points per game.
Deng is the son of James Aguek and Ajok Ral, both of Waukee. He is undecided on his major at UMC and is the brother of current Golden Eagle, Aguek Deng.

— — —

The Northern Sun Conference Preseason Football Coaches Poll has been released, and the University of Minnesota Duluth is the favorite going into the season. The top half seems to never change much, while the bottom five teams are the same.

1. UM-Duluth (8) – 134
2. Augustana (3) – 124
3. Minnesota State Mankato (1) – 120
4. Wayne State – 116
5. Bemidji State (1) – 112
6. MSU-Moorhead – 88
7. Winona State – 75
8. Sioux Falls – 62
9. Northern State – 57
10. Concordia-St. Paul – 40
11. SW Minnesota State – 34
12. Minot State – 31
13. University of Mary – 21

— — —

The Crookston Lions and Minakwa Golf Course will hold their 43rd Annual Youth Golf Tournament on Monday, August 12. Shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. for 13 to 17 year olds. 12 and under will start at 9:30 a.m. Ages 9 and under will golf 4 holes, 9 to 12-year-olds will golf 9, and 13 to 17-year-olds will golf 18 holes. The entry fee is $20 and includes lunch. The fee for Park and Rec golfers or those who are 8 years old or under will be $10. Call 281-1773 to pre-register by July 31.  Make checks payable to Crookston Lions Club.  New this year are outdoor games, hole games, door prizes and tons of prizes throughout the day.

— — —

— — —

JOKES

A man walks into a bar and orders a 21 year old whiskey.

He takes a sip and then spits it out.

“I asked for a 21-year-old, this is 18 years! I’m not paying! Give me a 12-year-old cognac.”

The bartender serves him, and the man spits it out again.

“This is only 10 years! I’m not paying!”

The bartender starts getting frustrated. After more and more drinks with the same reaction, the bartender serves another one and says:

“This one’s on the house.”

The man takes a sip and immediately spits it out.

“This tastes like piss!”

“Now tell me, how old am I?”

— —

During his physical, the doctor asked the patient about his daily activity level

He described a typical day this way: ‘Well, yesterday afternoon, I waded along the edge of a lake, drank eight beers, escaped from wild dogs in the heavy brush, jumped away from an aggressive rattlesnake, marched up and down several rocky hills, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand and took four leaks behind big trees.’ Inspired by the story, the doctor said, ‘You must be one hell of an outdoors man!’ ‘NAH,’ he replied, ‘I’m just a shitty golfer.’

— —

Two men are trying to get in a quick eighteen holes, but there two women golfers in front of them who are taking quite a long time to play each hole.

The first guy says, “Why don’t you go over and ask if we can play through?” The second guy gets about halfway there, turns and comes back. The first guy says, “What’s wrong?”

He says, “One of them is my wife, and the other is my mistress.”

The first guy says, “That could be a problem. I’ll go over.” He gets about halfway there and he turns and comes back, too.

The second guy says, “What’s wrong?”

The first guy says, “Small world!”

— — —

How are former Crookston Pirates athletes doing in college or elsewhere?
****LET ME KNOW OF OTHERS TO ADD TO THE LIST. Email me at chrisjfee@yahoo.com

Emilee Tate is a freshman playing Softball at Northland Community and Technical College.

Halle Bruggeman is a freshman on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Tennis team.

Grace Fischer is a freshman on the Concordia College (Moorhead) Women’s Golf team.

Ethan Boll is a Freshman on the University of North Dakota Football team.

Breanna Kressin is a Sophomore on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.

Emma Osborn is a Junior playing basketball at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

Jacey Larson is a Sophomore playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.

Aleah Bienek is a Sophomore playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.

Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND..

Kaleb Thingelstad is a junior playing golf at Kansas Wesleyan.

Joslynn Leach is a sophomore playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.

Brady Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.

Ty Hamre is playing football at Bemidji State University.

Aleece Durbin is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Womens Track and Field team.

Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.

Crookston School District Coaches

Emilee Tate is the Pirate 7th grade volleyball coach. 
Todd Miner is a Pirate Football assistant coach.
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Jeremy Lubinski is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach and assistant girls golf coach
Jeff Perreault is the Pirate Girls Golf head coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Sam Melbye is the Pirate Boys J.V. Hockey coach
Chris Dufault is a youth wrestling Coach

Non-Crookston High School coaching/Admin/etc

Tim Desrosier is an Assistant Coach for Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Pony Boys Basketball

Pat Wolfe is the head wrestling coach for Fosston/Bagley.

Austin Sommerfeld is an Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communication at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.

Collin Reynolds is the head baseball coach for the University of Colorado Buffalo Club Baseball team.

Trent Stahlecker is a School Security Specialist & he works for the Brevard Public Schools, Florida.

Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown.

Josh Edlund is the head football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.

Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach at Champlin Park

Jeff Olson is the Head Wrestling Coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.

Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.

Matt Harris is an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.

Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of Wyoming.

Mike Hastings is the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s head Hockey coach.

Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Grand Forks Schools.

Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football, volleyball, and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for Bison media relations.

Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College.

Chris Myrold is the Director and Fitness at Mission Ranch and Fitness in Camel, California.

Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis

Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.

Jarrett Butenhoff is serving our country with the U.S. Navy.

Joshua Butenhoff is serving our country on a Submarine with the Pacific Fleet with the US Navy.

Peter Cournia is a 2002 Crookston High School Graduate and a grad of West Point and currently serving in the U.S. Army.

Erik Ellingson is serving our country with the U.S. Air Force at Minot.

Philip Kujawa class of 2004, from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.

Rob Sobolik is the General Manager of the Fargodome

That’s it for this week. Thanks for the comments, and if you have anything to add or share, please e-mail chrisjfee@yahoo.com or call. Thanks for reading and listening to KROX RADIO and kroxam.com.

The post SPORTS FEEVER – August 8, 2024 appeared first on KROX.

Posted on

Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna are canceled after planned terrorist attack is thwarted

Taylor Swift 'ERA TOUR' posters graced Marina Bay Sands' walls during her "Eras" tour in Singapore. Singapore^ March 14^ 2024

Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour concerts scheduled for  Thursday, Friday and Saturday (August 8-10) at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium have been canceled, after government officials thwarted a planned terrorist attack that was set to take place at the events.

Austrian ticket agency Barracuda Music said in a statement on social media that “with confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety. All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.”

According to NBC News, two men were arrested in Austria on Wednesday for plotting an attack at one of the Swift concerts and other major events in Austria. Both were radicalized online, and one, a 19-year-old who pledged allegiance to the ISIS terrorist organization was allegedly found with suspicious chemical substances upon his arrest, Per the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, the two men were planning an attack on Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, where Taylor Swift was set to perform Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights as a part of the European leg of her tour. Local law enforcement were originally tipped off about a potential threat to the concert by “foreign security authorities.”  Police raided the 19-year-old suspects parents’ home in the nearby town of Ternitz, and found various chemicals and substances that could have been used to build a bomb.

During a news conference held on Wednesday, Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl said both suspects had “radicalized” via the internet, sworn allegiance to ISIS “a few weeks ago,” and had specifically organized how the attack was going to take place.

Police initially said the shows would go on amid increased security measures as the ‘terror threat had been extinguished and the concrete danger has been minimized,” but that decision was since reversed.

Editorial credit: RidhamSupriyanto / Shutterstock.com

Posted on

Maya Rudolph’s ‘Loot’ renewed for Season 3

Maya Rudolph at the 91st Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood and Highland in Los Angeles^ USA on February 24^ 2019.

Maya Rudolph’s comedy, Loot is returning for a third season on Apple TV+. Apple announced it has renewed the series, executive produced by Rudolph and also starring Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Nat Faxon, Ron Funches and Joel Kim Booster.

Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said in a statement: “With each season, Loot continues to deliver joy, laughs and endearing characters for audiences around the world. We are excited to partner with Maya Rudolph, and the entire cast and creative team behind Loot, to create even more heartfelt moments with an ensemble of fan favorite characters in Season 3.”

The show follows Molly Wells, the ex-wife of a tech billionaire, who embarks on a life of philanthropy after her heartbreak. Season 3 will pick up after the Season 2 finale that saw Molly Wells (Rudolph) and her trusted and unhinged assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) board Molly’s private jet following her awkward exchange with her colleague Arthur (Nat Faxon).

Rudolph and executive producer Danielle Renfrew Behrens shared in a statement: “We are thrilled to come back for a third season! We’re extremely fortunate to spend more time with our talented cast and crew. Making this show with Apple TV+ has been a joy, and we can’t wait to reunite with our Loot family.”

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com