Oskaloosa News Recap For March 12th, 2021
Local News – Local and State News
Local Sports – Local Sports
Indians Network
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North Mahaska Warhawks
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Obituaries
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National and World News
Alcatraz Island in California is set to reopen next week after being closed for months because of the COVID pandemic.
The former prison, located in San Francisco Bay, will resume tours Monday with visitors required to wear face masks and practice social distancing, the National Park Service reported.
Before the virus struck, Alcatraz would accommodate 5,000 to 6,000 visitors a day during the summer months. With the reopening, visitors will be limited to 900 per day Fridays through Mondays and 600 per day Tuesdays through Thursdays, according to the Mercury News of San Jose.
Alcatraz was a prison from 1934 to 1963, then became a tourist destination in 1973.
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WalletHub has released its annual “Happiest Cities in the US” report.
Researchers ranked 182 of America’s largest cities using positive-psychology research to determine which is home to the happiest people in the country. There were 31 “key indicators” of happiness examined, including: rates of depression, sleep, sports participation, working hours, income growth, separation and divorce.
The top 10 Happiest Cities are:
Fremont, California
Bismark, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Madison, Wisconsin
San Jose, California
South Burlington, Vermont
Lincoln, Nebraska
Columbia, Maryland
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Santa Rosa, California
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Texas and Georgia are both lowering the age requirement for receiving the coronavirus vaccine, with the new guidelines to take effect on Monday.
Texas will allow residents 50 and over to get the vaccine, while Georgia will offer it to people over 55, according to the Texas Tribune and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The new plans come a day after Alaska said any adult who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine.
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One in four adults in the US have received their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine.
More than 95.7 million doses have been administered nationwide since inoculation efforts began in mid-December, according to the latest numbers from the CDC.
Over 62.4 million people have gotten at least one shot, while over 32.9 million people have been fully vaccinated, the COVID Tracking Project reports.
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A judge granted prosecutors’ request on Thursday to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, in connection with George Floyd’s death.
Judge Peter Cahill added the charge after Minnesota’s Supreme Court denied an appeal from Chauvin the day prior. Cahill had previously rejected the charge as not warranted, but an appellate court ruling in an unrelated case established new grounds for it.
Chauvin already faced second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.
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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched more Starlink internet satellites into orbit early Thursday morning.
Less than nine minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s reusable 15-story first stage booster touched back down on the floating drone ship located in the Atlantic Ocean.
The mission was the company’s seventh of the year and 21st 60-satellite Starlink launch. It was also the 110th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket and 76th SpaceX booster landing.
SpaceX has now launched more than 1,200 Starlink satellites, making the largest constellation of artificial satellites.
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The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell for the third time in fours weeks as businesses try to recover from the lockdowns.
Last week’s 712,000 initial jobless claims brought the total for the pandemic to more than 81 million.
Economists were expecting 725,000 new jobless claims last week, according to Bloomberg.
Unemployment filings have now remained above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 for 51 consecutive weeks.
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A snake breeder accidentally created a python with smiley face emoji markings and sold it for $6,000 — three times what they typically sell for.
Justin Kobylka said he spent years trying to perfect a different pattern on lavender albino ball pythons before one was born with three yellowish smiley faces. He explained that the “happy” accident was likely to occur in one in 20 snakes he bred for the rare color combination.
While one-of-a-kind patterns on snakes can occur naturally, smiley face emojis would likely not be found in the wild, Kobylka stated.
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A British baroness is suggesting a 6 pm curfew for men to make women “a lot safer” on the streets of London.
Green Party member Jenny Jones shared her thoughts during a debate in the UK Parliament’s House of Lords this week, in response to the abduction and suspected murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard.
Jones later explained her remark on Facebook writing, “I responded to local police telling women not to go out alone at night by turning the idea on its head.”
Video of Jones’ comment circulated social media and prompted #CurfewForMen to trend on Twitter.
Everard went missing earlier this month in London after leaving her friend’s house. A Metropolitan Police officer has been arrested in connection with her death on suspicion of kidnapping, murder and indecent exposure, according to the city’s police department.
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Stocks rallied higher on Thursday as the Nasdaq popped 329 points, the Dow rose 188 points and the S&P added 40 points.
The Nasdaq Composite was lifted 2.5 percent during the session as technology firms such as Apple, Tesla and Microsoft saw increased investment.
First time jobless claims for last week were fewer than analysts had forecasted.
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Tube Talk
Here’s what’s new on TV tonight:
MacGyver / CBS / 7:00 pm
Shark Tank / ABC / 7:00 pm
The Blacklist / NBC / 7:00 pm
Friday Night SmackDown / FOX / 7:00 pm
Magnum P.I. / CBS / 8:00 pm
20/20 / ABC / 8:00 pm
Dateline NBC / NBC / 8:00 pm
Blue Bloods / CBS / 9:00 pm
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Showbiz News
These albums are being released today:
A.G. Cook, “Dream Logic”
Nick Jonas, “Spaceman”
Rob Zombie, “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”
The Anchoress, “The Art of Losing”
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Country music star Kane Brown is giving back to his hometown.
The singer-songwriter has teamed up with Lowe’s to fix up multiple buildings in Chattanooga, Tennessee as part of the company’s new campaign, called “100 Hometowns.”
The project aims to beautify neighborhoods across the country after so many Americans have face hard times because of the pandemic.
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Johnny Depp’s long-shelved thriller “City of Lies” finally has a release date.
The stalled production, originally titled “LAbyrinth” was pulled in August 2018 after the film’s location manager, Gregg Brooks sued Depp for alleged on-set assault. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial later this year.
“City of Lies” revolves around two L.A. police detectives Russell Poole (Depp) and Jack Jackson (Forest Whitaker) as they investigate the unsolved murders of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.
It is set to hit theaters on March 19.
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Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton will host this year’s ACM Awards.
CBS will televise the show from three iconic country music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe.
The show airs on April 18.
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The cast of “West Side Story” are reuniting to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the film.
Stars of the film, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn will help kick off the annual film festival for Turner Classic Movies (TCM), which will run virtually this year from May 6-9.
The festivities will open with a screening of “West Side Story,” which premiered in 1961, followed by four days of an extensive lineup of classic films, interviews with special guests, panels, unique presentations, as well as rarely seen behind-the-scenes footage, among others.
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Snoop Dogg, La La Anthony and “Empire” alum Serayah have joined the cast of 50 Cent’s executive produced Starz drama, “Black Mafia Family.”
The series is based on the life of Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory and their roles in Detroit’s drug trade that exploded and turned ugly in the late 1980’s.
Snoop will play Pastor Swift, the Flenory family’s spiritual advisor. La La will play Markasisha Taylor, the wife of a drug dealer that Meech and Terry befriend. Serayah will take on the role of Demetrius Flenory’s girlfriend Lori Walker.
No premiere date has been set.
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Kenneth Branagh is set to direct a biopic about the pop/soul/disco group, the Bee Gees.
The biopic will follow the trio of Barry and his twin younger brothers Robin and Maurice Gibb from their modest start to the peak of their fame in the 1960s and 1970s, according to Variety.
No other details were shared.
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Harry Styles will open the 2021 Grammy Awards.
The singer, who is nominated for three awards, will kickoff Sunday’s broadcast with an “incredible” performance, Jack Sussman, CBS’ executive VP of specials, music and live events told Variety.
Sussman also shared his excitement about the other performances, saying “It’s been a tough year. This is a moment in time for these artists to get out on stage and connect with fans who have been starving for these kinds of moments.”
The Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will air Sunday on CBS.
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The MTV Movie & TV Awards will return live from Los Angeles on Sunday, May 16, the network announced yesterday.
Hosts, honorees, performers, presenters, etc. will be announced at a later date.
The night following the award show, MTV will debut what it is calling “a first-of-its-kind celebration of all things reality television.” “Movie & TV Awards: Unscripted — airing May 17 — will celebrate “the jaw-dropping, no rules, drama-filled moments from our favorite reality shows,” according to a release from the network.
With California state officials working on a “Green” tier of the state’s reopening plan, it is feasible that by May MTV will be allowed to hold a live show with some kind of audience and even a red carpet.
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The Weeknd is boycotting the Grammys indefinitely.
The singer drew a line in the sand on Thursday saying he will boycott the awards show from now on “because of the secret committees” he believes are responsible for selecting nominees.
He also told the New York Times that he will “no longer allow [his] label to submit music to the Grammys.”
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Sports
Jessie Diggins is the second American — and first American woman — to win the biggest annual prize in cross-country skiing.
On Tuesday, Diggins clinched the World Cup overall title. While she still has two races left this weekend she is ahead by 342 points and with race winners getting 100 points, it is mathematically impossible for her to be passed.
Diggins joins Bill Koch as the only Americans to win a World Cup overall title; Koch won his in 1982.
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Day of the Year
National Baked Scallops Day
National Girl Scout Day
National Plant a Flower Day
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On This Date
1888 – A blizzard blankets New York City, killing hundreds and causing millions in property damage.
Over a 36-hour period, more than 40 inches of snow fell on the city.
Without a way of clearing large snowdrifts, the city became isolated from the rest of the world, unable to import necessary resources.
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1933 – President Franklin Roosevelt broadcasts his first fireside chat, live from the White House.
It came just 8 days after he was sworn in.
He took the time to speak about the national banking industry, during the low point in the Great Depression.
At the time, nearly a third of the American workforce was unemployed. Roosevelt thought his chat could help restore confidence in the nation and the economy.
Before the 24-hour news cycle and Internet, this method of communication was the most efficient and quickest way to reach a large segment of the country — at the time, 90 percent of households owned a radio.
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1938 – Germany annexes Austria.
The Austrian Chancellor had learned of the invasion plans earlier in the year, and met with Hitler to avoid conflict and assert Austria’s sovereignty.
Instead, the Chancellor was forced to name Nazis to his cabinet.
By March 11, he was forced to resign, and on the next day, Hitler personally oversaw his tanks and troops roll into the country — to much fanfare and enthusiastic crowds.
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1947 – In his State of the Union address, Harry Truman explains and outlines his philosophy and strategy for the Cold War. It would become known as the Truman Doctrine.
He asked for American assistance to aide Greece and Turkey, which were close in proximity to outbreaks of communism in Europe and Asia. This is by some accounts the first declaration of the Cold War.
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2003 – The Dixie Chicks come under fire for bashing George W. Bush. Lead singer Natalie Maines had said at a recent concert that she was ashamed the President was also from Texas.
At the time, the national sentiment toward the Iraq invasion was still favorable, and the comment caused instantaneous backlash.
Even Toby Keith played a concert in front of a backdrop that featured Natalie Maines and Saddam Hussein.
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2013 – The College of Cardinals convenes in the Vatican to select the next Pope.
Early favorites were Angelo Scola of Italy and Odilio Scherer of Brazil. Instead, the vote ultimately went to Jorge Bergolio from Argentina — a surprise pick.
He took the name Francis, and has since been celebrated as a progressive in the Church.
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2019 – More than 53 people are charged in the college admissions scandal.
The scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top universities. Parents paid William Rick Singer, organizer of hte scheme, more than $25 million to help fraudulently inflate entrance exam scores and bribe college officials.
Most notable are actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
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2020 – The NHL announces a pause of the 2019-20 season due to COVID-19.
Also, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is cancelled over concerns of the virus — marking the first time “March Madness” is not held since it began in 1939. The women’s tournament is also cancelled.
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Birthdays
Anna Clendening – pop singer – 28
Elly Jackson – pop singer – 33
Danny Jones – guitarist – 35
Stromae – rapper – 36
Jaimie Alexander – actress, “Thor” & “The Last Stand” – 37
Samm Levine – actor, “Inglourious Basterds” & “Freaks and Geeks” – 39
Marlon Jackson – pop singer – 64
James Taylor – folk singer – 73
Mitt Romney – politician – 74
Frank Welker – voice actor, “Aladdin” & “Scooby Doo series” – 74
Liza Minnelli – actress, “Cabaret” & “New York, New York” – 75
Born On This Date
Christina Grimmie – pop singer – 1994 (d. 2016)
Edward Albee – American playwright, “Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf” – 1928 (d. 2016)
Mae Young – wrestler – 1923 (d. 2014)
Tony “Two-Ton” Galento – American heavyweight boxer & actor – 1910 (d. 1979)
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Happy Hour
FRENCH VANILLA MARTINI
(Courtesy of Who Needs a Cape?)
INGREDIENTS:
3 oz Vanilla Vodka
3 oz Raspberry Liquor
6 oz Pineapple Juice
DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Pour into a chilled martini glass and enjoy.
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