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Covid-19: Public tip-off identified man who flew from Whangārei to Queenstown without exemption


A member of the public is believed to have tipped off police to a man who travelled from alert level 3 lockdown in Northland to Queenstown via Wellington without an appropriate travel exemption.

Police have confirmed the man flew from Whangārei to Wellington on a commercial flight on Saturday, police said.

He stayed overnight at a hotel near Wellington Airport on Saturday night before flying to Queenstown on Sunday morning.

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Police say the man is now self-isolating in Queenstown after leaving Whangārei’s level 3 lockdown.

Iain McGregor/Stuff

Police say the man is now self-isolating in Queenstown after leaving Whangārei’s level 3 lockdown.

The man was travelling for employment but did not have the necessary documentation to leave Whangārei under Covid-19 alert level 3, they said.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said the man returned a negative Covid-19 test on Monday, but would not comment on his vaccination status.

The ministry would be taking no further action and the matter would remain with police, the spokesman said.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he understood a member of the public had alerted police to the man’s presence.

The man’s actions were inexcusable, and put the community and the struggling local economy at risk, he said.

The man would be encouraged to leave the district, he said.

Boult was also concerned that someone was able to get on a commercial flight without an exemption.

There was a high possibility Covid-19 would come to the South Island at some time, so he encouraged everyone to get vaccinated.

“I’m calling for 95 per cent of this community to be vaccinated forthwith,” he said.

Police are working to understand how he was permitted to fly without the appropriate documentation.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult said the man’s actions were inexcusable.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult said the man’s actions were inexcusable.

News of the man travelling without the correct documentation comes amid a raft of calls for a hard border between the South and North Islands.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern conceded that the situation meant a need for tighter checks at airports in the event of future regional lockdowns.

“Unlike Auckland and others where you have the AvSec (Aviation Security) staff, not all our regional airports have that usual staffing that can quickly change up their approach in order to ensure that we are doing that documentation check.

“I don’t necessarily have the full picture as to whether that contributed to the issue here.”

Ardern said that while first and foremost “we ask people to actually follow the rules, and every day people are doing that without having to be stopped, asked and checked”, there would need to be stricter checks.

“But yes, one of the things we will need to ensure in the future if we are using for any reason localised lockdowns, is just as part of our checks to ensure that we are undertaking some of that at each airport.”



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Delaware State Police Investigating Fatal Bicycle Accident- Seaford – Delaware State Police


Date Posted: Friday, October 1st, 2021

stein and front

Seaford, DE- Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal bicycle accident that occurred Friday morning in Seaford.

On October 1, 2021, at approximately 10:46 a.m., a 2020 GMC Acadia operated by a 56-year-old Seaford woman was traveling eastbound on Stein Highway in the left turn lane approaching the intersection of Front Street. A 31-year-old Seaford man was riding a bicycle eastbound along the westbound shoulder of Stein Highway, approaching the same intersection. As the Acadia crossed through the intersection and began turning left onto Front Street, the bicyclist continued straight through the intersection and collided with the left front of the vehicle. After the collision, the Acadia came to a controlled stop within the northbound travel lane of Front Street next to the cyclist.

The 31-year-old bicyclist suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Identification is pending notification to next of kin.

The operator of the vehicle was not injured during the collision.

The intersection of Stein Highway and Front Street was partially shut down for approximately three hours as the scene was processed and cleared.

This collision remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit. Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact Sgt. Nicholas DeMalto by calling 302-703-3269. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll-free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1-800-842-8461). You may also email the unit Director at Debra.Reed@delaware.gov.

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

Delaware State Police Official Web Site

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Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Heather Pepper

Released: 100121 2258

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Share a tip on an autumnal UK garden for the chance to win a £200 holiday voucher | Travel


Winter is on its way, but before the cold and dark days truly settle it’s time to savour the changing seasons and take an opportunity to head into the outdoors to see trees cloaked in russet-coloured leaves; shrubs bursting with ripe red berries and an abundance of fiery, colourful foliage.

Tell us where can you enjoy a magnificent autumn garden display – maybe with a lovely coffee shop attached or a historic building to dive into nearby – with websites and prices where appropriate.

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition.

Keep your tip to about 100 words

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet, will win a £200 voucher to stay at a Sawday’s property – the company has more than 3,000 in the UK and Europe. The best tips will appear on the Guardian Travel website, and maybe in the paper, too.

We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.

The competition closes on 28 September at 9am BST

Have a look at our past winners and other tips

Read the terms and conditions here

If you’re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here



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A road trip through the American southwest


Whereas languages die, paintings fade, buildings fall and entire cities crumble, the visible celestial plane exists almost exactly as it did when the dinosaurs were munching on treetops and one another. Of course, satellites, rovers and space junk endanger the constellations, seemingly mimicking their glimmer until you stare long enough to realise they are but unfixed nomads. And even with these blemishes, the night skies continue to dazzle; it’s no wonder every civilisation since the dawn of time has braided its origin within the stars, or that we continue to look to them to tell our fortunes.

The following evening, just over the Utah border, we sat around a fire at Camp Sarika, a recent addition to the Amangiri hotel. Eli Secody, a Navajo storyteller, was unravelling the wisdom of the Só Dine’é, or ‘star people’, as his kin refer to the constellations.

Finally, the stars emerged and the Milky Way blazed over the frostbitten earth. As Secody tells it, Folding Darkness Boy (who is responsible for rejuvenation and healing during sleep) is the first to appear in the blue light after sunset. Next comes First Man Náhookos Bi’ka (the Big Dipper) and First Woman Náhookos Bi’áád (Cassiopeia), who are connected by a fireplace, Náhookos Bikó (the North Star). Then Folding Darkness Girl shows up just before dawn to wake sleepers. But the star people are more than shapes loosely drawn around one another. The Navajo relationship with the skies is highly spiritual, and as Secody explains, each constellation contains within it not only lessons of guidance and the power to heal, but also a piece of the universe and the entirety of the universe itself. It would take nights upon nights to trace the interconnected web of the stars and the Navajo. Secody ended by singing another story, his voice carried across the canyon by the breeze.

Setting up a telescope fireside for stargazing at a Yonder Escalante Airstream

Julien Capmeil

Several hours north at Kodachrome Basin, near the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and surrounded by sienna sandstone spires, park ranger Nathan Martinez unloaded a massive telescope from his truck along with a canteen of hot water, sachets of hot chocolate and a can of ready-whipped cream. The sun descended, making a creepy chiaroscuro of the topography as the soft-spoken, red-bearded ranger plugged in the coordinates of Saturn and we waited for darkness to come. When it did, he gestured for me to look through the lens. With one eye squeezed shut and the other wide open, I pressed my face to the eyepiece. What looked like a glow-in-the-dark sticker I might have applied to the ceiling of my childhood bedroom – tipped on its side, rings and all – was an actual planet, 746 million miles away, its icy aura spinning in perpetuity. A few minutes later, a star shot through the Hercules Globule, the Pleiades blinked on and we all stared into our neighbouring galaxy Andromeda, pondering the fact that one day it will collide with the Milky Way, destroying and rearranging absolutely everything.



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Woman arrested for using fake ‘Maderna’ vaccine card to travel to Hawaii | St. Louis News Headlines


(Meredith) — An Illinois woman traveled to Hawaii with a fake COVID-19 vaccination card that had a major typo, authorities said.

Police arrested Chloe Mrozak, 24, after receiving a tip that she used a fake vaccine card to fly to Hawaii on Aug. 23, Hawaii News Now reported. She allegedly submitted the fraudulent document to bypass a mandatory 10-day quarantine for unvaccinated visitors.






Woman arrested for using fake 'Maderna' vaccine card to travel to Hawaii

Chloe Mrozak, 24, was charged with falsifying vaccination documents after she allegedly used a fake COVID-19 vaccine card to travel to Hawaii. 




One error that stood out to authorities: Moderna was misspelled as “Maderna” on the document.

The handwritten card stated that Mrozak received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in Delaware from National Guard members. Officials in Delaware reportedly told investigators they could not find evidence of her vaccinations in their medical records.

Investigators said they initially had trouble tracking down Mrozak because the hotel reservation she gave an airport screener was incorrect.

KHON-TV reported that the screener did not confirm Mrozak’s hotel reservation before she left the processing center. When investigators later contacted the hotel, the staff said there was not a reservation under her name.

Authorities arrested Mrozak on Saturday at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu while she was at the Southwest Airlines counter about to fly home.

Mrozak was charged with falsifying vaccination documents, which is a misdemeanor offense. Her bail was set at $2,000.

Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.





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New York state of ride: the best bike routes around Manhattan and beyond


This article is part of a new cycling series from FT Globetrotter

The office of the Mayor of New York recently declared in a tweet that in May alone, the Big Apple recorded “2,709,684 rides and over 1 million ebike rides!” with its Citi Bike rental scheme. New Yorkers are also using their own bikes to an increasing degree. Michael Bloomberg, the city’s previous mayor, oversaw a dramatic expansion in New York’s network of protected bike lanes in the past decade — and during lockdown, the cycling trend surged. 

I am a case in point: although I cycled a fair amount before Covid-19, during the pandemic my bike became my main means of transport (and exercise) in Manhattan — and it is likely to stay that way until winter, now that I have discovered how easy it is to get around.

Cycling is currently Tett’s main means of transport around Manhattan
Cycling is currently Tett’s main means of transport around Manhattan © Max Burkhalter

So how do you pick the best routes in Manhattan, given that the borough’s narrow, busy (and potholed) streets don’t seem particularly bike-friendly? A good place to start is to download the NYC Bike Map on your phone. It lists all the cycle paths, using colour-coding to show the different types of lanes: traffic-free lanes that are not on roads; separate lanes on roads protected by concrete barriers; and lanes that run amid traffic but are demarcated by painted lines. Google Maps is another good option, though it does not always distinguish between types of bike lanes. 

Either way, before you set off, bear a few tips in mind:

  • If you are nervous and/or cycling for the first time, start on a traffic-free route such as the Hudson River Greenway (anywhere from West 125th Street to Battery Park), the Central Park loop (see below) or the East River cycle path (from Brooklyn Bridge to East 35th Street)

  • If you are using cycle lanes that are protected by concrete barriers on roads (on part of First Avenue, for example), stay alert at junctions as the cars turning left or right can be careless

  • If you are on a cycle lane that is simply demarcated by painted lines on the road, stay even more alert: those cycle paths are often found in narrow cross streets, and drivers are not always respectful of cyclists

  • Be aware that ebikes can move very fast in New York since they often have deliveries with them; ditto motorised scooters and skateboards

  • Be aware that many delivery bikers don’t wait at stop lights — don’t copy them unwittingly

  • Watch out for potholes, particularly downtown and on the east side 

Here are three of my favourite routes in Manhattan — and one on an island in the East River.

1. The classic: Central Park loop

Globetrotter Manhattan cycling map showing the Central Park loop

Cycling around Central Park is like hopping in a yellow cab or eating a bagel: something every visitor (and local) should do at least once. It is very simple and safe: start at any point in Central Park (Columbus Circle is a good bet, or try the 90th Street entrance on Fifth Avenue), and then follow the bike track around anticlockwise. The entire loop is six miles, with a few moderate hills in the middle and a larger one at the north-east corner. But if that is too long, or you feel too jet-lagged for a climb, cut the loop a bit shorter and leave the park at 100th Street, heading west, or lopping off the southern tip at 72nd Street and heading east around the ponds. 

Cycling around Central Park’s six-mile loop is ‘something everyone should do at least once’
Cycling around Central Park’s six-mile loop is ‘something everyone should do at least once’

The Boathouse restaurant, with its terrace overlooking The Lake
The Boathouse restaurant, with its terrace overlooking The Lake © Max Burkhalter (2)

There are plenty of ice-cream kiosks that sell water and snacks along the way. However, the best place to enjoy a proper meal or elegant cocktail is the Boathouse, a delightful restaurant with a wonderful terrace overlooking a boating lake.

Stop by the Jackie Onassis Reservoir for a classic New York photograph
Stop by the Jackie Onassis Reservoir for a classic New York photograph

The Guggenheim, on the eastern edge of the park, makes for another great photo opp
The Guggenheim, on the eastern edge of the park, makes for another great photo opp © Max Burkhalter (2)

Do: 

  • Take plenty of photos, even if you feel like a tourist; the route has lovely views. As you travel south, marvel at the midtown skyline and the crazily high new skyscrapers; as you cycle up the east side, note the Guggenheim, or take a break at 90th and walk up the bank to the Jackie Onassis Reservoir for the classic New York shots you have seen in the movies

  • Be aware that the loop can be crowded with joggers, rollerbladers and others in the middle of the day. If you want to do serious exercise, go early, when committed bikers race around at high speeds in peace

Don’t: 

  • Cycle clockwise, except at the cut-through on 72nd Street, where it is permitted. It won’t get you arrested but you might crash into someone 

  • Expect other cyclists to stop at pedestrian red lights. Most don’t. But be careful about jumping lights, as pedestrians can suddenly step out

2. The fitness challenge: Manhattan loop

Globetrotter Manhattan cycling map showing the Manhattan loop

If you are feeling adventurous (and fit), cycle around the bottom half of Manhattan. This is pretty safe, as much of the route uses traffic-free or cycle lanes.

A good place to start is where the two rivers collide on the southern tip: in front of South Ferry terminal. Head east (or anticlockwise) following the bike lane that hugs the water, towards the East River. This will take you under the thundering arches of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, then up a peaceful stretch next to the water for several miles, giving you magnificent views of Brooklyn on the right — and Alphabet City on the left, across the highway.

For several miles, the loop offers stunning views of Brooklyn
For several miles, the loop offers stunning views of Brooklyn © Francois Roux/Alamy

Cyclists and joggers on the Hudson River bike path
Cyclists and joggers on the Hudson River bike path © Glasshouse Images/Alamy

At 34th Street the pathway along the river ends, so cut across to First Avenue and then follow the protected bike path north for a few miles. That stretch is not picturesque, but it gives you a good sense of New York, since it takes you past the United Nations, through Midtown East and some pleasant haunts on the Upper East Side.

At 91st Street, turn left along another demarcated bike path and continue until you hit Fifth Avenue; turn left, cycle a block further (to East Drive), turn right into Central Park and do the loop around the park. When you reach the western side, exit on 91st Street, follow the cycle path west, across the Upper West Side, until you hit Riverside Drive. Here you can drop down to the Hudson River bike path, which you can follow south for several miles, all the way back down to the southern tip.

The last stretch is a beautiful route that takes you past parks, cruise liners, an aircraft carrier-cum-museum and jetties, with stunning views of New Jersey. Try to do it in the mid to late afternoon, when the sun is low across the Hudson River. At the bottom of Manhattan, circumnavigate Battery Park and join up with the Seaport again. 

The route takes you past the Intrepid aircraft carrier, which is now a museum
The route takes you past the Intrepid aircraft carrier, which is now a museum © John Penney/Alamy

The Frying Pan restaurant and bar on Pier 66
The Frying Pan restaurant and bar on Pier 66 © Wendy Connett/Alamy

If this route feels too short, you can extend it by turning right when you hit the Hudson River and cycling north for a couple of miles along the water for splendid views of the George Washington Bridge — and then retrace your steps.

If you want food or drink, there are plenty of cafés along First Avenue, or near 91st Street. The best place to stop, though, is at a barge in the Hudson River, docked at Pier 66, that hosts a restaurant and bar called The Frying Pan. It offers fantastic views, particularly when the sun is low. If you want to start and end your journey here (which is a great idea if you are tempted to enjoy evening cocktails as the sun sets), begin and finish your loop at the nearby Javits Center.

Do:

  • Recognise that you will need to wiggle through the streets to cross Manhattan on the Upper East and West sides to get between the rivers and park; use a map there

  • Either do the loop early in the morning (to see the sun rising over the East River) or late afternoon (to see the sun sinking over the Hudson). Both are beautiful

Don’t: 

  • Be surprised if you have to take the odd detour on the East River due to construction work 

  • Expect public restrooms along the way, since there are almost none (another reason to head to The Frying Pan or a First Avenue café) 

3. The movie set: bridges

Globetrotter Manhattan cycling map showing the movie set: bridges

Every good Manhattan movie has shots of the iconic bridges that cross the East River. They also offer a wonderfully memorable, short cycle ride that is not quite as easy to navigate as, say, Central Park, but offers equally gorgeous photos.

The route crosses both Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge
The route crosses both Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge © Mykhailo Shcherbyna/Alamy

Manhattan Bridge, as seen from the junction of Water and Washington Street
Manhattan Bridge, as seen from the junction of Water and Washington Street © Maciej Bledowski/Alamy

The Manhattan side of Manhattan Bridge, close to Chinatown, is a good place to start. Cycle up the designated path onto the bridge, next to the subway track line. This is not a peaceful route, since subway cars rattle past — and be aware that getting onto the bridge entails going up a slow, steady hill that may test your fitness. But once you are in the middle of the water, the views are spectacular, and then you have a long downhill cruise to enjoy. 

When you get to the end of the bridge on the Brooklyn side, follow the signs down to Dumbo and take the cycle path through the neighbourhood. Stop on Water Street for another classic photo (but you will need to dodge tourists to do this) or visit the park and carousel on the waterfront. Then head down the river to the Brooklyn Bridge, and cycle onto it and back west towards Manhattan. The views are even more magnificent.

When you hit Manhattan, either navigate the cycle path back to where you started at the base of Manhattan Bridge, or take the East River cycle path. If you want to extend the route, or seek out some more good watering holes, cycle through SoHo and Tribeca on, say, Prince Street. There is a pleasant cycle route there, but it is not a protected one. 

Ride back into Manhattan across Brooklyn Bridge . . . 
Ride back into Manhattan across Brooklyn Bridge . . .  © Perry van Munster/Alamy

. . . after stopping for a bite to eat in Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass)
. . . after stopping for a bite to eat in Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) © Nino Marcutti/Alamy

There are lots of good places to stop for food and drink in Dumbo; the River Café is the smartest. Alternatively, SoHo has a multitude of casual street restaurants.

Do:

Don’t:

  • Expect peace and quiet on the bridges; subway cars are noisy 

  • Block the cycle lane on the bridges if you stop to take photos. Lots of people use this as a commuting route and are already blasé about the views — they get seriously irritated if there are large groups milling around taking selfies

4. The little-known option: Randall’s Island

Globetrotter Manhattan cycling map showing the little-known option: Randall’s Island

Strictly speaking, this is not in Manhattan and most New Yorkers barely know that this cycling option exists. Randall’s Island in the middle of the East River is best known as a destination for sports-mad kids and adults, since it hosts a vast array of sports fields. But it is an excellent place to find a safe, completely traffic-free bike ride with excellent views of Manhattan. 

The footbridge across to Randall’s Island
The footbridge across to Randall’s Island © John Penney/Alamy

The route takes you around the island
The route takes you around the island © Frances Roberts/Alamy

Start on East End Avenue, at the 88th Street entrance to Carl Schurz Park. Cycle through the park to the river, past Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s residence. (Alternatively, take the ferry up the East River to East 90th St ferry terminal.) Then cycle north along the water, past a (highly controversial) waste-docking centre, until you hit a vast green footbridge that crosses the river. Follow that to Randall’s Island, then turn right and cycle anticlockwise along the southern rim for a couple of miles next to the water — and savour the amazing views of Manhattan. You’ll hit a short hill to climb that leads to a line of arches under a bridge called Hell Gate, and cycle under them until you can go no further.

From here, take a small path to the left that will connect you to the road. Turn right after a few yards, cycle past the New York Fire Department’s training academy, then rejoin the cycle lane under the arches, and head up to the north of the island. If you turn right, you can do a very pleasant detour here along the water and then retrace your steps. Or just turn left and follow the northern rim of the island, travelling around it anticlockwise, and come back down along the west side of the island, on another bike path, past the Icahn Stadium, over some salt marshes with a pretty bridge, and then along another lovely path with woods and flowers, overlooking the water. Eventually you will hit the green footbridge again and can cross that to return to Manhattan and Gracie Mansion.

Do:

  • Take a picnic to eat on the southern rim; it’s a wonderful place for this

  • Consider taking the river ferry to get to Carl Schurz Park — a great way to travel and bikes are allowed

Don’t:

  • Expect food. There is one mediocre café on the southern tip of Randall’s Island (with a toilet), but that is all

  • Worry if you get a bit lost — it’s an island. Just follow the water and go anticlockwise

  • Stare too closely at the encampment of riot police that you might see in the centre of the island. (When the NYPD is worried about social unrest, it parks riot police there, to be discreetly on hand but out of sight.) They won’t bother you, if you don’t bother them

Maps by Liz Faunce

What are your favourite bike routes around Manhattan? Tell us in the comments

For more stories like this visit ft.com/globetrotter, or read our city guide New York with the FT

Follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram @FTGlobetrotter





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Sweep, but bittersweet: Cardinals outlast, out-blast Pirates for 7-6 win after LeBlanc leaves with elbow injury | St. Louis Cardinals


Twenty of the 26 players on the Cardinals’ roster appeared, including every position player. Six relievers handled seven innings while hitters off the bench provided three runs, including the decisive run scored by Carlson’s replacement, Jose Rondon.

“Expecting to play — which is a big part of it,” Shildt said of the backbenchers’ readiness. “What a team effort. Pretty much everybody participated in this one. Feel good about getting the last one here on a tough turnaround and smoking hot day.”

The win by a radiance of Cardinals secured their first sweep of a three-game series in nearly six weeks and their seventh of the season. Two have come in Pittsburgh.

LeBlanc, whose arrival helped steady the rotation throughout July, will travel to St. Louis to have scans taken of his left elbow Friday and determine the cause of the pain and potential treatment. Carlson traveled Thursday night with the Cardinals to Kansas City, where he’ll have an MRI taken of his right wrist to determine its integrity. With opening day starter Jack Flaherty scheduled Friday to make his first appearance since May 31, the Cardinals need a spot on the active roster and could place LeBlanc on the injured list if he’ll miss even his next start.

But first they had to navigate the innings unmanned by LeBlanc’s departure.

The widespread and aggressive use of the roster necessary Thursday was made possible Wednesday. Adam Wainwright’s shutout on 88 pitches meant the bullpen went undisturbed, nary a teammate warmed up, and Shildt had arms to carry the leftover load. T. J. McFarland took the first shift and got a double play to end his assignment after three batters. Andrew Miller drew the fourth, and Colin Moran greeted him with a solo homer. The Pirates’ lefthanded-hitting erased the Cardinals’ early 1-0 lead with a three-run homer off LeBlanc in the first and his homer off Miller gave him six career homers off lefthanded pitching.



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Yankees’ Aaron Judge on verge of big steps for return from COVID IL


There may be Aaron Judge sighting Sunday in Fenway.

No. 99 will not be off the Yankees’ lineup and back starting in right field against the Boston Red Sox, but he’s scheduled to be back with the team making final steps to return from the COVID injured list.

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The plan for Judge is to travel from Boston to Tampa with the Yankees after Sunday’s game, then work out there during Monday’s off day.

And then …

“We’ll see where we are from there,” manager Aaron Boone said before Friday night’s Yankees-Red Sox game.

That’s not ruling out Judge coming off the IL to suit up for Tuesday night when the Yanks and Rays open a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

It hasn’t taken the Yankees long to kill off a COVID outbreak that sent six players to the injured list in a week, five of them in a span of two days.

Pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga and Nestor Cortes were off the injured list and back on the Yankees’ roster for Friday night’s game in Boston.

Gio Urshela could join them by Sunday to play third base in the Yankees-Red Sox’s series finale at Fenway Park.

By early next week, No. 2 catcher Kyle Higashioka and Judge figure to be back, too. Higashioka also is scheduled to be in Boston by Sunday and flying to Tampa with the Yankees.

Reliever Wandy Peralta also doing well, too, but the left-hander probably will need a rehab assignment before rejoining the Yankees

“Peralta is back in New York,” Boone said. “He’s been at (Yankee) Stadium the last two days working out and getting ready to go. We might end up doing a rehab assignment with him because he only had one outing coming off the last IL trip and then going on the COVID. So we’ll see if he needs maybe a little rehab outing as he works his way back.”

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.





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Minneapolis Tourism Industry Begins Bouncing Back – WCCO


MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — At long last, visitors are once again coming to the Twin Cities and staying the night.

At the start of the pandemic, hotel occupancy dipped below 5% in Minneapolis. It’s now up to 30%.

READ MORE: Child Tax Credit Update: Here’s How You Opt Out Of Advance Monthly Payments

By most accounts, this is the ideal time of year to visit Minneapolis. But for a year and a half, those visits have been rare and hotels eerily quiet.

Lisa Schetinski works in sales at the Canopy by Hilton hotel in the Mill District of Minneapolis.

“I don’t think anything could have prepared all of us for this type of situation and how it impacts our industry so significantly,” she said.

Schetinski helps book for the art-filled boutique property with 183 rooms, and for the past year, few guests.

“I’ll try not to get emotional about it but we lost many team members where we just couldn’t support keeping everybody,” Schetinski said. “So I think the many furloughs and things really impacted our industry.”

But at long last, with the return of weddings and Twins crowds, the Minneapolis tourism industry is gaining ground.

READ MORE: Child Tax Credit Update: Do You Qualify For A Monthly Check?

“The weekend occupancies have been growing. We even had a sellout weekend, which was really exciting, and I think that was so promising and just really invigorating for the whole team, to be back doing what we do,” Schetinski said.

As for the huge Convention Center gatherings that bring in tens of thousands…

“We would typically do 33 of those a year,” Mett Minneapolis tourism team president Melvin Tenant said. “This year we will have about 10 since we are in the recovery stage. But 2022 we should actually exceed that 33 number with the way things are looking for us.”

So local industry experts project 2021 will be a slow climb, but in 2022, more and more travelers will finally reach their destination.

Another sign of recovery for the Canopy: they are going to have two larger corporate events in August. And the Convention Center will have its first large scale event, a toy convention.

The biggest challenge now for hotels is to re-hire enough staff to keep up with growing demand.

MORE NEWS: Child Tax Credit: Manage Your Monthly Checks With These IRS Tools

Travel tip: If you’re thinking of doing a staycation, hotel rates in general are still at lower rates.



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