Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial: Why actress was in court, verdict

After being placed on trial in Utah for a 2016 ski crash, Gwyneth Paltrow can put her legal troubles behind her.

The eight-day trial, which began March 21, concluded Thursday with the jury finding Paltrow not at fault for the collision, referred to as a "hit and run."

The celebrity wellness influencer and "Shakespeare in Love" star was sued by Terry Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Feb. 26, 2016.

Sanderson said the crash seriously injured him and that Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow alleged Sanderson plowed into her and then told her he was fine.

Here's everything to know about the case and what was said in court.

Gwyneth Paltrow found not responsible for ski accident in jury verdict

On Thursday, a jury found Paltrow not responsible for the 2016 ski crash and was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim, in addition to her attorney fees. The actress previously vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.

Judge Kent Holmberg instructed the jurors to determine whether "Sanderson was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm. You must also decide whether Gwyneth Paltrow was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm."

Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial verdict: Actress found not responsible for ski accident

Who testified in Gwyneth Paltrow trial?

Those who testified in the trial included a radiologist, a neuropsychologist, one of Sanderson's daughters and Paltrow herself.

While on the stand Friday, Paltrow gave her account of the collision, saying Sanderson "categorically hit me on that ski slope." She also said that, while the crash was happening, she had an initial "quick thought" she might be getting sexually assaulted, saying she heard Sanderson groan and felt a man's weight pressing into her backside during the crash.

Sanderson's daughter Polly Grasham was questioned March 23 about missing GoPro camera footage and if her father sued Paltrow because she's famous. The GoPro footage has not been found or included as evidence for the trial.

Paltrow’s attorneys also questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sanderson’s downturn wasn’t a result of aging or documented, pre-crash conditions. They also questioned Grasham about her father’s anger problems, divorces and estranged relationship with another of his daughters, who did not testify.

On March 22, radiologist Dr. Wendell Gibby testified that brain images suggest it's unlikely Sanderson crashed into Paltrow and that his head trauma was likely caused by a skier crashing into him.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Terry Sanderson's lawyers detail differing accounts in opening statements

In opening arguments on the trial's first day, both sides presented their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.

Paltrow's legal team, including attorney Steve Owens, told jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her — a collision in which she sustained a "full body blow." Owens noted that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine — an interaction Sanderson doesn't deny but said in court filings he can't remember.

Sanderson's attorneys attempted to paint Paltrow as a negligent celebrity with little care for the injuries inflicted upon the 76-year-old military veteran.

Owens cautioned jurors not to let sympathy for Sanderson's medical ailments – a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries – skew their judgements. He questioned Sanderson's credibility, noting his age and documented pre-collision brain injuries. Owens also said Sanderson posted a "very happy, smiling picture" of himself online, riding a toboggan post-crash.

Gwyneth Paltrow appears in courtduring first day of Utah ski collision trial

Gwyneth Paltrow testifies she wasn't engaging in 'risky behavior' day of ski crash

During her testimony Friday, Paltrow said she "was not engaging in any risky behavior" the day she alleged Sanderson crashed into her from behind on a beginner ski slope.

Sanderson's lawyer Kristin Vanorman pressed Paltrow to provide a moment-by-moment account of the incident, during which the actress recalled that Sanderson's skis came forward in between her skis during the collision. She also confirmed she yelled an expletive at Sanderson following the crash, adding she felt "upset" at the time.

Paltrow also denied the account provided by Greg Ramone, a ski friend of Sanderson who previously testified he saw Paltrow hit Sanderson in the crash.

“I don’t believe he saw what he thinks he saw," Paltrow said of Ramone's testimony. "He said he was 40 feet away and color blind. I don’t know how he can be positive about what he saw."

Gwyneth Paltrow testifies Terry Sanderson'categorically hit me' in ski collision trial

Previous:Gwyneth Paltrow denies causing Utah ski crash

Why was Gwyneth Paltrow in court?

Paltrow faced a lawsuit from Sanderson, who sought $300,000 and claimed the accident was a result of negligence that left him with physical injuries and emotional distress. Sanderson initially sought $3.1 million in a first lawsuit, which was dropped.

Sanderson claimed the Goop founder left him injured on the mountain and didn't send help. He also alleged a Deer Valley ski instructor filed a false incident report saying Paltrow didn't cause the crash.

Sanderson told reporters in Salt Lake City when he filed the lawsuit in January 2019 that he waited to file the lawsuit for nearly three years because he had problems with attorneys and could not function properly because of the concussion.

Gwyneth Paltrow reveals 'weirdest wellness thing' she's ever done: Rectal ozone therapy

Gwyneth Paltrow's doppelganger daughter Applesits front row at Chanel: See the photos

What has Paltrow said about the ski crash?

Paltrow alleged in a counterclaim that the retired optometrist plowed into her from behind.

Paltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing with her family for the day. In her counterclaim, she said Sanderson apologized to her and said he was fine. She had previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not yet offered a full version of the events.

Contributing: Edward Segarra and Charles Trepany, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Gigi Hadid weighs in on viral 'nepo baby' discourse:'Technically I'm a nepotism baby'

Gwyneth Paltrow pressed on stand about ski collision, Taylor Swift

Gwyneth Paltrow is speaking her side of the story.

The celebrity wellness CEO and "Shakespeare in Love" star took the stand Friday in Utah after being sued for a ski crash in 2016, referred to as a "hit and run."

Paltrow is on trial, which began Tuesday, after being sued for $300,000 by Terry Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City in 2016. Paltrow filed her own lawsuit against Sanderson seeking "symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim," her lawsuit states.

Sanderson also claims Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow has denied the allegations and in a counterclaim said it was Sanderson who crashed into her.

Gwyneth Paltrow says Terry Sanderson 'categorically' crashed into her

While on the stand, Paltrow said she "was not engaging in any risky behavior" the day she alleges Sanderson crashed into her from behind on a beginner ski slope.

Sanderson's lawyer Kristin Vanorman pressed Paltrow to provide a moment-by-moment account of the incident, during which the actress recalled that, while the crash was happening, she thought for a brief moment she might be getting sexually assaulted.

“That was a quick thought that went through my head when I was trying to reconcile what was happening," Paltrow said, saying she heard Sanderson groan and felt a man's weight pressing into her backside during the crash. "My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening.”

Paltrow noted Sanderson's skis came forward in between her skis during the collision. She also confirmed she yelled an expletive at Sanderson following the crash, adding she felt "upset" at the time.

"I apologize for my bad language," she said, to which Vanorman replied, "You’re small but mighty. Actually, you’re not that small.”

Paltrow also denied the account provided by Greg Ramone, a ski friend of Sanderson who previously testified he saw Paltrow hit Sanderson in the crash.

“I don’t believe he saw what he thinks he saw," Paltrow said of Ramone's testimony. "He said he was 40 feet away and color blind. I don’t know how he can be positive about what he saw."

Throughout questioning, Paltrow maintained Sanderson collided into her, saying, "Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on that ski slope, and that is the truth."

Paltrow says she feels 'very sorry' for Sanderson but she didn't hit him

Vanorman also inquired about Paltrow's relationship with singer Taylor Swift, who won $1 in damages in a 2017 groping case.

“Are you good friends with Taylor Swift?" the attorney asked Paltrow, to which the actress replied: "I would not say we are good friends. We are friendly. I’ve taken my kids to one of her concerts before, but we don’t talk very often.” The line of questioning was eventually halted by an objection, to laughter from the courtroom.

Later, Paltrow's lawyer Steve Owens asked Paltrow if she has empathy for Sanderson and his health issues, despite his lawsuit against her.

"You know, I really do," Paltrow said. "I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life, but I did not cause the accident so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him."

Paltrow's legal team said she sustained a 'full body blow' in the crash

In opening arguments on the trial's first day, both sides presented their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.

Paltrow's legal team, including attorney Steve Owens, told jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her — a collision in which she sustained what they called a "full body blow." Owens noted that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine — an interaction Sanderson doesn't deny but said in court filings that he can't remember.

Paltrow is seeking "symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim," her lawsuit said. The actress vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Read more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial

Watch: Closing arguments in Gwyneth Paltrow Utah ski crash trial

Attorneys are presenting their closing arguments Thursday before handing an eight-member Utah jury the case from the closely watched Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial, in which a retired optometrist is suing her for the injuries he says he sustained.

Paltrow testified Friday in Utah after being sued in a 2016 ski crash that's been referred to as a "hit and run."

In 2019, the "Iron Man" star was sued by Terry Sanderson, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the slopes at a Park City ski resort. The alleged incident occurred Feb. 26, 2016, on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort.

Sanderson testified Monday. He is seeking $300,000 in damages, following a $3.1 million lawsuit that was previously dropped. Paltrow has denied the allegations and in a counterclaim said it was Sanderson who crashed into her.

Paltrow is seeking "symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim," her lawsuit said. The actress vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.

The trial began March 21.

Read more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial

Contributing: Morgan Hines

Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial verdict: Actress found not ...

Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial has come to a close.

On Thursday, a jury found Paltrow not responsible after being sued by Terry Sanderson for a ski crash in 2016, referred to as a "hit and run."

Paltrow was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim in addition to her attorney fees. The celebrity wellness influencer and "Shakespeare in Love" star previously vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.

Judge Kent Holmberg instructed the jurors to determine whether "Sanderson was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm. You must also decide whether Gwyneth Paltrow was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm."

"If you decide that more than one person is at fault you must then allocate fault among them (totaling 100 percent). Fault means any wrongful act or failure to act," Holmberg continued, adding that fault, in this case, would be negligence based on whether they exercised reasonable care in the collision.

Holmberg said if the jury determined fault over 50 percent for either party, they would not recover any damages.

The trial began on March 21. Paltrow was sued by Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Feb. 26, 2016.

Gwyneth Paltrow was 'pounded like a punching bag' in trial, attorney says in closing argument

Closing arguments for the trial took place Thursday, hours before the verdict was read.

Paltrow’s attorneys pushed back against the claim that the pair’s collision was a "hit and run." Sanderson said the crash seriously injured him and that Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow alleged Sanderson plowed into her and then told her he was fine.

“It takes a lot of courage, does it not, for her to sit there for two weeks and be pounded like a punching bag?” said Paltrow's attorney Steve Owens.

“He hit her. He hurt her, and he wants $3 million for it,” Owens continued, referencing Sanderson's prior $3.1 million lawsuit. “That’s not fair. The easy thing for my client would have been to write a check and be done with it. … It’s actually wrong that he hurt her, and he wants money from her.”

Sanderson’s legal team focused a portion of its closing argument on the medical ailments the 76-year-old suffered as a result of the collision, which include a brain injury and four broken ribs.

His legal team also cited the turmoil the accident caused in his personal life. “From the day after this incident happened there was a very serious decline, (and) the people that knew him best testified…as to the changes that they experienced with Terry,” attorney C. Peter Sorensen said.

Sorensen also criticized the dismissal of Sanderson’s injuries by Paltrow’s attorneys as a distraction from the reality of the collision. Owens previously cautioned jurors not to let sympathy for Sanderson's injuries skew their judgments.

“They point the finger at Terry Sanderson and say ‘It’s your fault. You did this. You brought this on yourself,’” Sorensen said. “(Sanderson) wants the weighing of the scales the same way that Mrs. Paltrow does, but on those scales, someone has facts that are weighing, and someone has a lot of fanfare that when you really pry it, it’s a ‘So what?’ It’s nothing.”

Contributing: The Associated Press

Read more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial

Gwyneth Paltrow denies being cause of Utah ski crash

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY – Actress Gwyneth Paltrow denied Wednesday that she skied into a man who accused her in a lawsuit of seriously injuring him at a Utah ski resort, alleging in a counter claim that the man actually plowed into her from behind and delivered a full “body blow.”

Paltrow was skiing on a family vacation on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 26, 2016, when Terry Sanderson smashed into her, the actress’ attorney alleged in a counter claim filed in court. Paltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing with her family for the day.

She said Sanderson apologized to her and said he was fine. She had previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not yet offered a full version of the events.

“She did not knock him down,” Paltrow’s court filing said. “He knocked her down. He was not knocked out.”

The account differs greatly from the sequence of events alleged by Sanderson in the lawsuit filed Jan. 29. He said Paltrow was skiing out of control and knocked him out, leaving him with a concussion and four broken ribs. Sanderson referred to it as a “hit and run” and is seeking $3.1 million in damages.

More:Gwyneth Paltrow sued over Utah ski crash, her spokesperson says lawsuit is 'without merit'

Sanderson, a retired optometrist, told reporters in Salt Lake City on the day he sued that he waited to file the lawsuit for nearly three years because he had problems with attorneys and could not function properly because of the concussion.

Deer Valley Resort spokeswoman Emily Summers has said previously that the resort cannot comment on pending legal matters. Sanderson’s lawsuit against Paltrow also includes the resort as a defendant.

Paltrow is known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and the “Iron Man” movies. She also owns a lifestyle company called goop.


Fact check: Denmark is among world's happiest countries, but it's not ...

The claim: Denmark is ranked the happiest country in the world; 33 hours work in a week, $20 minimum wages, free university, medical and child care

Every year ahead of the United Nations' World Happiness Day, on March 20, a report is released that ranks 156 countries on their happiness based on income, life expectancy, freedom, social support, trust and generosity.

According to one social media post, Denmark has turned up at the top of list.

"Denmark is ranked as the happiest country in the world with 33 hours work in a week, $20 minimum wages, free universities and medical care, free child care and low level of Corruption," reads a Dec. 30 Facebook post to the group Mysterious Facts which has since been deleted. The user who posted it did not have a way to be contacted.

Fact check: Clinton, Obama left federal government with a lower deficit than when they arrived

Nordic countries ranked high in reports, but Denmark isn't first now

This year, the Gallup 2020 World Happiness Report rated Finland as the world's happiest country for the third year in a row, with Denmark in second and Switzerland third.

The report rates the countries based on different aspects of social environment, such as having someone to count on, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity and trust.

Considered risks are ill-health, discrimination, low income, unemployment, separation, divorce or widowhood and safety in the street. The "happiness costs of these risks are very large," according to the report.

The meme provides no source of information or date; it is possible the first claim could have been true at the time the meme was created, as Denmark has been previously ranked first in World Happiness Reports.

A search of the text included in the post results in a blog post with an almost identical version of the claim from 2016, a year when Denmark was ranked first. Denmark also made the top of the list in 2012 and 2013.

Nordic countries, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, have appeared on the top 10 of the World Happiness Report since it started publishing its annual rankings in 2012. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Nordic countries occupied the top three spots.

The report found that Nordic citizens are exceptionally satisfied with their lives because of reliable and extensive welfare benefits, low corruption, well-functioning democracy and state institutions and small population.

Fact check: Over 159 million people voted in the US general election

Work hours, university, medical and child care

Beyond overall happiness, the post makes claims — some true — about why Danes might be so happy.

While the post states an average workweek in Denmark is 33 hours, a full-time workweek in Denmark is typically 37 hours distributed over five days, according to the city of Copenhagen. It/ notes that workweeks can be longer for those in a managerial position or self-employed.

Staying extra hours is discouraged, and most employees leave the office around 4 p.m. to pick up their children and begin preparing for dinner, according to the official website of Denmark. In the last weeks of July, offices are shut down as Danes take time off to enjoy a short summer and every employee is legally entitled to five weeks of paid vacation per year.

Employees are also not allowed to work more than 48 hours per week on an average of a four month period due to the EU's Working Time Directive, which was implemented in Denmark's Working Enviornment Act in 2017.

The post states the nation's minimum wage is $20 an hour. But Denmark lacks a federally mandated minimum wage, according to Investopedia. However, trade unions work to ensure that workers are paid a reasonable rate and try to keep the average minimum wage at $20 per hour. As of 2020, minimum wages in the country hover around $16.60 per hour, according to Check In Price.

Minimum-wage.org, says Denmark's average minimum wage is $18 per hour and annual minimum wage is $44,252.00. A November 2020 article from Market Watch says wages in Scandinavia are among the highest in the world at $17.69 per hour.

Schooling is largely free, as the post claims. Higher education in Denmark is free for students from the European Union or European University Association and for students in exchange programs, according to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. Education is also free for students who have a permanent residence, a temporary residence with possibility of obtaining permanent residence or a resident permit.

It is also worth noting that every Danish student receives a rough estimate of $900 per month, the Washington Post reported.

In Denmark, the health care system is financed through an income tax of 8% and provides universal access to citizens and legal residents, USA TODAY reported. So while the post states medical care is free, it lacks the context that taxpayers do cover the cost.

The public child care system in Denmark is based on a partially free system, and some day care institutions have waiting lists. However, most guarantee a place for children from the age of 1, according to Work in Denmark. The child care facilities receive financial support from the state and the most payable out of pocket amount by parents is 30% of the cost. Child care is not free, as claimed.

The reason Denmark can afford to provide these services is because it has one of the highest tax rates in the world, with the average Dane paying a total of 45% in income taxes, according to BBC. In fact, most Scandinavian countries offer higher education, child and medical care, and parental leave due to their high levels of taxation. In 2018, Denmark's tax-to-GDP ratio was 44.9%, Norway's was 39% and Sweden's 43.9%, which compares to a ratio of 24.3% in the U.S., according to the Tax Foundation.

The post is accurate in claiming that Denmark has low corruption. The 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Denmark as the least corrupt country in the world for the fifth year in a row due to its degree of press freedom, access to information, independent judicial systems and strong standards of integrity for public officials.

In 2018, New Zealand and Denmark were both ranked as the least corrupt, according to World Population Review, which notes that there is no exact way to measure corruption but many use the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International.

Fact check: Pregnant women do receive vaccines, but more study needed on COVID-19 shot

Our ruling: Partly False

The claim that Denmark is ranked the happiest country in the world due to its short workweeks, high minimum wage, and free university and health and child care is rated PARTLY FALSE, based on our research. Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the last three consecutive years, with Denmark holding a spot in the top three. Denmark also has 37-hour workweeks, not 33, and there is no minimum wage. Services of higher education, child and medical care and parental leave are available due to their high levels of taxation; they're not offered for free.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

Finland picked as happiest country in the world, US not in the top 10

Finland was voted the happiest country in the world for the fifth straight year, and it is joined by other European countries in the annual World Happiness Report.

A publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the 10th edition of the report published on Friday ranked 146 countries in their overall happiness. Researchers say past data has looked at how citizens' trust in government and large institutions has played a major factor in a country's level of happiness.

"The World Happiness Report is changing the conversation about progress and wellbeing. It provides important snapshots of how people around the world feel about the overall quality of their lives," Christopher Barrington-Leigh, professor at McGill University in Quebec and a researcher involved in the report, said in a statement.

What's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

Top 10 happiest countries

Using results from the Gallup World Poll, Finland was in first: It had an overall score of 7.821 out of 10, which was "significantly ahead" of all other countries. Northern Europe appeared to be one of the happiest regions in the world: All five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway – ranked in the top eight.

Here are the top 10 countries and their score:

Finland- 7.821 Denmark- 7.636 Iceland- 7.557 Switzerland- 7.512 Netherlands- 7.415 Luxembourg- 7.404 Sweden- 7.384 Norway- 7.365 Israel- 7.364 New Zealand- 7.200

The 10 least happiest countries

The unhappiest country, according to the rankings, was Afghanistan, with a score of 2.404. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in England, said recent conflict in the country played a vital role in its ranking. In August, the Taliban took over the country after the U.S. military withdrawal.

"At the very bottom of the ranking we find societies that suffer from conflict and extreme poverty," De Neve said. "This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human well-being."

The data was collected well before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, but both countries were in the bottom half of the rankings, with Russia ranking 80th and Ukraine 98th.

Here are the 10 countries ranked in the bottom along with their score:

Afghanistan- 2.404 Lebanon- 2.955 Zimbabwe- 2.995 Rwanda- 3.268 Botswana- 3.471 Lesotho- 3.512 Sierra Leone- 3.574 Tanzania- 3.702 Malawi- 3.750 Zambia- 3.760

What about the United States?

The U.S. may not be in the top 10, but it's not far off, ranking 16th with a score of 6.977, just behind Canada but ahead of the United Kingdom. Canada is the happiest country in the Americas, according to the data.

The ranking is also the best ranking for the U.S. since 2017, when it was the 14th happiest. It's also a big jump from the 2021 report, when the U.S. ranked 19th with a score of 6.951.

Here are the past seven rankings for the U.S.:

2022: 16th

2021: 19th

2020: 18th

2019: 19th

2018: 18th

2017: 14th

2016: 13th

A surge in paying it forward

COVID-19 has taken its toll on nearly every country around the world for more than two years, and even though the pandemic hasn't ended with the emergence of a new coronavirus variant, researchers said people appeared to be more happy in 2021 than in 2020, when the pandemic began. Global worry and stress levels also were down from 2020.

John Helliwell, researcher and professor at the University of British Columbia, said the data showed globally, people were volunteering, helping and donating 25% more than they were before the pandemic.

"This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves," Helliwell said.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

Dolly Parton proud of recent Dollywood Theme Park awards

For the seventh consecutive year Dollywood has been named the Friendliest Park during the recent Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards.

Dollywood also won the Best Shows award for the 10th consecutive year and the Best Christmas Event for the 11th year, something no other theme park has won from Amusement Today.

More:Dolly Parton named 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year, will receive honor in February

"I've said it before, but back when I started Dollywood, I remember just prayin' that people were going to come visit us that very first year," Dolly Parton said in a news release.

"Here we are in our 33rd season, still earning some of the biggest awards and honors you can get, and I can't tell you how proud I am of what we're accomplishing," she said. "I started Dollywood because I'm proud of the Smoky Mountains and wanted more people to come experience the beauty God has put right here in our back yard."

Dollywood also placed in the Top 10 in five other categories, taking second place for Best Food, third place for Cleanest Park, fourth place for Best Water Park for Dollywood's Splash Country, fifth place for Best Park, and sixth and 10th place for Best Wooden Coaster for the Lightning Rod and Thunderhead, respectively.

Upcoming events at Dollywood include the Harvest Festival followed by Smoky Mountain Christmas, which will featuring Glacier Ridge for the first time, adding more than 1 million lights to the park.

More:Want to see Dollywood's new expansion, Wildwood Grove, first? Here's how

In 2019 Dollywood will open Wildwood Grove, a new feature to include six ride attractions including the Dragonflier, a suspended family roller coaster.

Houston Astros win World Series over Philadelphia Phillies with ...

CNN —

The Houston Astros won the franchise’s second World Series title on Saturday after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 6 at Minute Maid Park.

It was the Phillies who got the scoring started in the top of the sixth inning with a Kyle Schwarber solo home run off Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez, who was able to limit the damage before being pulled after the sixth. Valdez finished with nine strikeouts and only allowed two hits and a run.

After allowing two baserunners, Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was pulled from the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado gave up a three-run home run to Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez to give Houston the lead. Houston would tack on one more run on a Christian Vazquez single.

Astros closer Ryan Pressly came in to close out the game and make sure the home crowd in Houston went home celebrating a World Series victory.

Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena was named the World Series MVP. Pena becomes the first ever rookie position player in MLB history to win the award, according to the league.

After falling behind 2-1 through the first three games of the World Series, Houston evened up the series after throwing a combined no-hitter in Game 4. Game 5 saw Astros ace Justin Verlander collect his long-awaited first career World Series victory after pitching five innings with six strikeouts and giving up one run.

Astros skipper Dusty Baker can now add World Series champion to his impressive managerial resume.

When asked if the win has “hit” him yet, Baker said, “it hit me alright.”

“It hit me soon as that ball – Yordan hit one over the moon out there. That’s when it hit me,” Baker added.

Baker was also asked what has been the most enjoyable part of the run for him, which he quickly responded that the answer hasn’t “sunk in yet” but called the team the “greatest bunch of guys.”

“They told me in spring training that they were going to win,”Baker said. “Now, what’s next? Party!”

The Houston Astros celebrate their World Series win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, November 5. Eric Gay/AP Houston manager Dusty Baker celebrates on the field after his team's victory on Saturday. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images The Astros celebrate with the Commissioner's Trophy. Tony Gutierrez/AP Players and other members of the Astros organization rush onto the field after their victory on Saturday. Rob Carr/Getty Images Phillies players watch the Astros celebrate. Tony Gutierrez/AP A view of the Minute Maid Park scoreboard after the completion of Game 6 on Saturday. Rob Carr/Getty Images Houston infielder Alex Bregman is tagged out by Jean Segura while sliding into second base in the eighth inning of Saturday's game. Bregman was initially called safe on the play but the call was overturned after an official review. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images Houston's Yordan Alvarez celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during Game 6. The home run gave the Astros a 3-1 lead. Harry How/Getty Images Alvarez's teammates jump out of the dugout as he rounds the bases after hitting his three-run shot in the sixth inning of Saturday's game. Eric Smith/AP Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado reacts to Alvarez's home run on Saturday. Tony Gutierrez/AP Philadelphia outfielder Kyle Schwarber sends a solo home run into the right field seats during Game 6 on Saturday. The home run briefly gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Thomas Shea/USA Today Sports/Reuters Schwarber celebrates his home run with teammate Rhys Hoskins on Saturday. Tony Gutierrez/AP Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña reacts after hitting a single on Saturday. Peña was awarded the World Series MVP for his stellar play during the series. He is just the second rookie to be named LCS and World Series MVP in the same postseason. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Astros fans cheer their team on during Game 6 on Saturday. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm throws out Houston's Martin Maldonado during the third inning of Saturday's game. Harry How/Getty Images Houston's Chas McCormick breaks his bat during Game 6. Cooper Neill/MLB Photos/Getty Images Astros second baseman Jose Altuve turns a double play in the first inning of Saturday's game. Rob Carr/Getty Images Houston's Framber Valdez warms up in the bullpen before Saturday's game. Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images Country music icon George Strait announces "Play Ball" before the start of Game 6. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies get ready in the dugout prior to Game 6. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images The Houston Astros celebrate their win in Game 5 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, November 4. Matt Rourke/AP Houston's Jeremy Pena celebrates his home run on Thursday. David J. Phillip/AP Fans cheer during Game 5 on Thursday. Rob Tringali/MLB/Getty Images Houston's Jose Altuve celebrates after scoring on a ball hit by Yordan Alvarez. David J. Phillip/AP Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh can't get a glove on a double by Houston's Yuli Gurriel. Matt Slocum/AP A Phillies fan holds up a sign referencing designated hitter Bryce Harper on Thursday. Bill Streicher/USA Today/Reuters Martin Maldonado of the Astros watches a pitch during Game 5. Kyle Ross/USA Today/Reuters Philadelphia first baseman Rhys Hoskins tags Houston's Yuli Gurriel. David J. Phillip/AP Supermodel Kate Upton, who is married to Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, cheers Thursday night. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images Rapper Meek Mill, a Philadelphia native, performs alongside the Phillie Phanatic before Game 5. Matt Rourke/AP Houston relief pitcher Ryan Pressly and catcher Christian Vazquez celebrate their team's win over the Phillies during Game 4 on Wednesday, November 2. Pressly closed out the 9th inning as four Astros pitchers contributed to a no-hitter. David J. Phillip/AP Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber grounds out during the sixth inning on Wednesday. Kyle Ross/USA Today Sports First lady Jill Biden , third from left in front, hold signs for a Stand Up To Cancer campaign after the fifth inning of Game 4. The first lady attended the game in Philadelphia as part of the Biden administration's Cancer Moonshot initiative. She has made her love of the Phillies well known and has longstanding ties to the city. David J. Phillip/AP Houston's Cristian Javier pitches during Game 4. He pitched six no-hit innings before being relieved by Bryan Abreu. Steve Boyle/MLB Photos/Getty Images Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker hits a double during Game 4. Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports A young Phillies fan is seen wearing a gold chain Wednesday. Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images Philadephia's Bryce Harper steals second under Houston second baseman Jose Altuve. David J. Phillip/AP Fans react as Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies makes a catch for an out on Wednesday. Sarah Stier/Getty Images Fans wave towels as Philadelphia's Aaron Nola prepares to pitch during Game 4. Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports Fans enter the stadium in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Brian Garfinkel/MLB Photos/Getty Images Philadelphia's Alec Bohm rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday, November 1. The Phillies hit five home runs in the game, tying a World Series record, and they won 7-0 to take a 2-1 series lead over the Houston Astros. Matt Rourke/AP Houston right fielder Kyle Tucker leaps at the wall but can't reach a home run hit by Brandon Marsh in the second inning. Matt Slocum/AP Bryce Harper crushes a breaking ball to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 3. It was the sixth home run of the postseason for Harper, who was named MVP of the National League Championship Series. Elsa/Getty Images Phillies fans hold up a "cheaters" sign with the Astros' logo on Tuesday night. The Astros won the World Series in 2017, but many baseball fans consider that title tainted because of a cheating scandal. Major League Baseball found that the team had illegally created a system that decoded and communicated the opposing teams' pitching signs during their championship season, leading Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane to fire manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images Philadelphia right fielder Nick Castellanos makes a diving catch on the first play of Game 3 on Tuesday night. Matt Slocum/AP Players line up for the National Anthem before Game 3. It was the first World Series game in Philadelphia since 2009. Chris Szagola/AP Houston's Alex Bregman and Yordan Álvarez celebrate after Bregman hit a two-run home run in Game 2 on Saturday, October 29. The fifth-inning blast gave the Astros a 5-0 lead, and they held on to win 5-2 and tie the series at one game apiece. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Umpire Pat Hoberg watches to see whether a ball hit by Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber was a home run or a foul ball in the eighth inning . The ball was initially thought to be fair, but replays showed that it was actually in foul territory. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Bregman watches his fifth-inning home run clear the fences in Game 2. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Philadelphia's Edmundo Sosa dives for a ball but is unable to make the play in Game 2. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Philadelphia's Jean Segura reacts after striking out in the second inning of Game 2. Astros starter Framber Valdez frustrated the Phillies, striking out nine and allowing only four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Thomas Shea/USA Today Sports Astros fans cheer on their team in Game 2. Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images Houston's Jeremy Peña hits an RBI double to open the scoring in Game 2. The Astros started with three straight doubles and took a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Bob Levey/Getty Images Philadelphia first baseman Rhys Hoskins mishandles the ball in the first inning of Game 2, allowing Yuri Gurriel to reach safely. It cost the Phillies a run, as Álvarez scored on the error. Bob Levey/Getty Images Valdez delivers a pitch in the first inning of Game 2. Eric Gay/AP Philadelphia's J.T. Realmuto hits a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, October 28. The Phillies went on to win by that score. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images Tucker leaps at the wall but can't reach Realmuto's home run in the 10th. Rob Carr/Getty Images Realmuto, right, celebrates his homer with Harper. Eric Gay/AP Astros watch the 10th inning from the dugout. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Castellanos dives for a game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth inning. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Houston relief pitcher Hector Neris celebrates after striking out Castellanos to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning Friday. The game was tied 5-5. Eric Gay/AP A scoreboard worker at Minute Maid Park changes the number during the top of the fifth inning, when the Phillies tied the game at 5-5. Eric Gay/AP Tucker celebrates in the dugout after hitting his second home run of the night to give the Astros a 5-0 lead in the third inning. Eric Gay/AP Marsh reacts after being called out on strikes in the third inning. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images The Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate watch Game 1 on Friday. The "rally nuns" are some of the Astros' most famous fans. Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports Tucker smashes a solo home run in the second inning to open the scoring in Game 1. Bob Levey/Getty Images Houston starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws during the first inning of Game 1. He started hot, retiring the first nine batters he faced. Eric Gay/AP Hoskins stands in the on-deck circle during Game 1. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Harper wears Phillie Phanatic gear as he stands for the National Anthem on Friday. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Fans show love for Houston star Jose Altuve on Friday. David J. Phillip/AP Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who is from the Houston area, gives the "play ball" announcement before Game 1. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images Teams line up for the National Anthem ahead of Game 1. Tim Bradbury/Getty Images Houston manager Dusty Baker watches from the dugout during Game 1's opening ceremony. The 73-year-old is the oldest manager in World Series history. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images A Phillies fan enjoys the pregame atmosphere at Minute Maid Park. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images In pictures: The 2022 World Series Prev Next

The Astros’ win was the first time since 2013 that a team claimed the title at its home field. And Minute Maid Park hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for the team.

Houston has twice stumbled since the team’s first title in 2017. The Astros appeared in the Fall Classic in 2019 against the Washington Nationals and 2021 versus the Atlanta Braves, both resulting in losses.

The team’s 2017 victory came with a lot of questions and controversy.

Following the win, Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane fired then-manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow after the MLB had suspended them both for a season without pay for a sign-stealing scandal.

Major League Baseball found the club illegally created a system that decoded and communicated the opposing teams’ pitching signs during their 2017 championship season.

The team forfeited its regular first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts and paid a $5 million fine.

The Astros kept their title – but, to many non-Houston fans, it remains shrouded in scandal.

For Philadelphia, the loss results in heartbreak as the franchise was seeking its first championship since 2008. The city was dealt a double blow Saturday as the Philadelphia Union lost in penalties to Los Angeles FC in the 2022 MLS Cup Final earlier in the afternoon.

Jacob Lev Ben Church
Jacob Lev
Ben Church

Darrell Brooks sentenced to 6 life terms for 2021 Waukesha ...

CNN —

Darrell Brooks was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision Wednesday for driving his SUV into a crowd of Christmas parade attendees in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last year, killing six people and wounding dozens.

In a clean sweep for the prosecution, a jury found Brooks, 40, guilty last month on all 76 counts stemming from the attack, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon.

Following two days of statements from victims and family members, Judge Jennifer Dorow imposed the mandated sentence, ordering Brooks to serve a life sentence without the possibility of extended supervision for each of the first-degree homicide counts. The sentences will run consecutively, she said.

Dorow also imposed sentences totaling hundreds of years for the remaining 70 counts on which he was found guilty. She sentenced Brooks to 17½ years for each of the 61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with the use of a dangerous weapon.

“You have absolutely no remorse for anything that you do. You have no empathy for anyone,” Dorow said. “Frankly, Mr. Brooks, no one is safe from you.”

Brooks spoke for more than two hours, telling the court he struggles to understand why this tragic incident happened.

“The why, the how,” Brooks said. “How could life ever get this far away from what it should be? Regardless of what a lot of people may think about me, about who I am, about my family, about my beliefs, I know who I am. God knows who I am, and I don’t have any words of anger.”

He promised not to “throw shots” at anyone because he wanted to take the “high road” but then proceeded to attack Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper’s integrity, saying he will never respect “how you did your job” and claiming his crimes were none of her concern.

Brooks’ grandmother, Mary Edwards, said it was her prayer Brooks “will sincerely and humbly apologize,” and she apologized herself “to those who have been hurt so badly by what has happened, this tragedy that has been caused by my grandson.” Brooks, who represented himself, apologized only once, saying no one can see the regret he feels.

“I want you to know not only am I sorry for what happened, I’m sorry that you could not see what’s truly in my heart, that you cannot see the remorse that I have,” he told the court. “That you cannot count all the tears that I have dropped in this year.”

SUV strikes marching band during Wisconsin holiday parade 01:51 - Source: CNN

While Brooks’ family members raised his state of mind during the hearing, the judge said mental health issues did not cause him to drive into a large crowd. Citing opinions from four mental health evaluations, Dorow said Brooks understood the difference between right and wrong. He has no remorse nor empathy for anyone, she said.

“Do the mentally ill sometimes commit atrocious crimes? They do. This is not one of those situations,” Dorow said. “There are many times, many times, good people do bad things, but there are times when evil people do bad things.

“There is no medication or treatment for a heart that is bent on evil.”

Brooks has previously said he intends to appeal his conviction.

Prosecution asked for harshest penalties

Prosecutors asked that Brooks face the maximum sentences allowed, served consecutively, in the November 21, 2021, attack.

“You saw the videos. This wasn’t him plowing into one large group of 50 people at one time and hitting them,” Opper said. “He hit one, kept going. Hit two, kept going. Hit three, kept going – all the way down the street. That’s consecutive sentences, your honor. That’s intentional, willful, volitional conduct that warrants consecutive sentences stacked one on top of the other, just as he stacked victims up as he drove down the road in complete disregard for any other person.”

In addition to the 762½ years for reckless endangerment, Dorow added three years each for two bail-jumping convictions and nine months for domestic battery. The lengthy prison term is necessary to keep the community safe, she said. To do anything less would be to “unduly depreciate the seriousness of these offenses,” she said.

“It is needed – although largely symbolic, given the number of years that I have imposed here today – because frankly you deserve it,” Dorow said.

Decisions about mental health treatment up to the state Department of Corrections, she said.

Dancing Grannies talk about love of what they do months before parade tragedy 01:55 - Source: CNN

Victims and their loved ones began speaking Tuesday about what they’ve lost and endured. Among the more than 40 people delivering statements were relatives of Virginia Sorenson, part of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies troupe that lost three of its members in the attack, WTMJ reported.

“I will continue to struggle with the loss,” said Sorenson’s husband, David. “I am lucky to have family care for me and wrap me in love so that I can start to glue together the shattered life I now have.”

While some victims addressing the court said they were willing to forgive the killer, Sorenson told the judge, “I ask you to send this evil animal to life in prison with no chance for parole for the callous murder of my wife,” WTMJ reported.

Alisha Kulich, the daughter of 52-year-old Jane Kulich, who was killed attending the parade, lamented that her mother will miss so many milestones in her and her siblings’ – and Jane Kulich’s grandchildren’s – lives, the station reported.

“She won’t get to see me say my vows or get married to the love of my life,” Alisha Kulich said. “And she won’t ever get to see my future kids, and they won’t know what it’s like to have a grandma who spoils them.”

‘How can you hit one and keep going?’

In addition to Sorenson and Kulich, Jackson Sparks, 8, Tamara Durand, 52, Lee Owen, 71, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81, were killed. Sparks was walking with his baseball team during the parade. Durand and Owen were Dancing Grannies, along with Sorenson, and Hospel was the husband of a Dancing Granny who survived the attack.

Prosecutors provided evidence showing Brooks intentionally drove through the crowd. In a criminal complaint, an officer who stepped in front of Brooks’ vehicle, ordering him to stop, said Brooks looked “directly at him, and it appeared he had no emotion on his face.”

The SUV passed the officer and accelerated, stopped at an intersection, then accelerated again – tires squealing – and began zigzagging as “bodies and objects” flew, the complaint said, adding another witness said Brooks was trying to avoid vehicles, rather than people, and made no attempt to slow down.

In a tearful closing argument, Brooks posited what would be the reaction if the car malfunctioned and was unable to stop and the driver panicked. He claimed there was a recall on the vehicle he was driving, but Dorow struck the remarks from the record.

In June, Brooks entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, but his public defenders withdrew it in September. They then withdrew themselves from representing Brooks, and Dorow permitted Brooks to represent himself.

He was belligerent and disruptive at trial, often speaking over Dorow to make outlandish arguments. Dorow at times put Brooks in a separate room, where he could take part via a monitor and was muted unless it was his turn to speak. Brooks was twice sent to the room Wednesday after talking over the judge.

From top left clockwise, Lee Owen, Tamara Durand, Virginia Sorenson, Jackson Sparks, Jane Kulich and Wilhelm Hospel.

Brooks’ mother, Dawn Woods, expressed concern her son was not capable of defending himself and asked the judge not to allow it, WTMJ reported.

“He is not stable mentally enough to fully understand the big mistake he is making by wanting to represent himself,” she said. “That alone should be enough to see he’s not capable of being his own attorney.”

Brooks had been charged in a domestic abuse case and was released from jail on $1,000 bail less than two weeks before the parade. He was accused of running over a woman who claimed to be the mother of his child, according to court documents. Prosecutors later acknowledged the bail set was “inappropriately low.”

Eliott C. Mclaughlin Brad Parks Steve Almasy Adrienne Broaddus

A college football All-Star team made up solely of Indiana products

By Matthew Glenesk

With each passing season, Indiana increasingly produces more and more college football players. Credit the Colts’ success, the popularity of football or whatever. Either way, more Hoosiers are playing on Saturdays.

Star sports producer Matthew Glenesk scoured Division I football rosters and put together his second annual All-Indiana team, comprised of players who hail from the Hoosier State.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY: Desktop version

OL – Jason Spriggs, Indiana (Concord)

On Signing Day 2012, Kevin Wilson raved about the NFL potential of this unheralded in-state recruit. Spriggs responded in kind by starting all 12 games, a school record for true freshmen. An All-Big Ten honorable mention pick, Spriggs allowed just two sacks in 961 snaps for the Hoosiers, who set school records in passing yards and total yards.

OL – James Hurst, North Carolina (Plainfield)

One of the best offensive linemen in the country, Hurst is a preseason All-America and on the Outland and Lombardi award watch lists. Hurst has started every game for the Tar Heels since the second week of his freshman season, a span of 36 straight starts, and finished 2012 All-ACC first team. North Carolina set school records in total yards and passing offense and surrendered a league-low 0.92 sacks per game.

OL – Zack Martin, Notre Dame (Bishop Chatard)

Considered one of the best left tackles in the country, Martin is on all the award watch lists. He’s made 39 consecutive starts and has been named Notre Dame’s best offensive lineman three straight seasons.

OL – Nick Martin, Notre Dame (Bishop Chatard)

One of Notre Dame’s most versatile linemen, Martin played in all 13 games a year ago and was the primary backup at both tackle positions. He’s also played guard, but now has shifted to center where he’ll look to replace longtime starter Braxston Cave.

OL - Michael Kime, Army (Culver Academies)

Started 11 games last season for an offensive line that led the nation in rushing and set Army records for rushing yards and total offense. Kime has started at right tackle and center, but is coming back from a knee injury he suffered late last season.

QB – Tre Roberson, Indiana (Lawrence Central)

He may not even be the starter for Thursday’s opener against Indiana State, but there aren’t many Hoosier-bred QBs out there (and no, the well-traveled Gunner Kiel is not there yet). Roberson was the starter last season before getting hurt and seemed poised for a big year. IU’s offense is high-powered with a strong offensive line and receiving corps, so whoever lines up at QB will have every opportunity to succeed.

RB - Shakir Bell, Indiana State (Warren Central)

We’re dipping down to FCS for our feature back and this isn’t a desperation reach. Bell is one of the most productive backs in the country, regardless of level. Bell finished with 1,475 rushing yards (third-best in school history). A year earlier, Bell rushed for a nation-leading 1,670 yards.

RB – Tevin Lake, Marian (South Bend Adams)

It didn’t feel right having an All-Indiana team without a member of the state’s only national champion. Marian won the NAIA national title and were led by Lake, who rushed for 1,594 yards, 18 TDs and added 511 receiving yards and another four scores.

WR – Kofi Hughes, Indiana (Cathedral)

Caught 43 passes for 639 yards a year ago (third best on the pass happy Hoosiers). Hughes is the Hoosiers’ deep threat with seven 35-plus yard catches and finished sixth in the Big Ten in yards per game.

WR – Jamill Smith, Ball State (Muncie South)

The Cardinals’ second-leading receiver behind Willie Snead, Smith snagged 69 catches for 706 yards and scored six times in 2012. Ball State’s primary kick and punt returner, Smith averaged 25.6 yards per kick return.

TE – Zane Fakes, Ball State (Plainfield)

An All-MAC first team selection, Fakes caught 57 balls for 461 yards and five TDs a season ago. Two of his touchdowns came in Ball State’s 41-39 win over IU in Bloomington.

DL – Sheldon Day, Warren Central (Notre Dame)

Saw action in all 13 games for the Fighting Irish as a true freshman and registered 23 tackles, 13 solos, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly gushed about Day this month saying, “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody on our football team right now. He’s as impressive of a football player that we have on our defense.”

DL – Jordan Stepp (Ben Davis) and Camaron Beard (Cathedral), Cincinnati

The Indy duo combined for 66 tackles a year ago, including nine tackles for loss. Stepp is the Bearcats’ most experienced lineman and will be needed to anchor the line. Another Indy-area product, Mitch Meador (Whiteland), provides depth at the tackle position.

DL – Darius Latham, Indiana (North Central)

This is a potential pick and also an indication on the options on the defensive interior for our All-Indiana team. Latham, who originally committed to Wisconsin, should see plenty of action with the graduation of IU’s top three interior defenders. Much of the Hoosiers’ improvement on defense will depend on how quickly Latham and fellow Indy freshman D-lineman David Kenney (Pike) adapt to the college game.

LB – Blake Lueders, Stanford (Zionsville)

An injury cost Lueders the entire 2012 season, but the outside linebacker is back and in contention to start at outside linebacker for the Cardinal, replacing All-Pac 12 performer Chase Thomas. Regardless of whether or not Lueders wins the starting job, he’ll have a presence for fourth-ranked Stanford.

LB – Nick Temple, Cincinnati (Warren Central)

A starter since the fifth game of his freshman year, expect big things from Temple this season. He finished the 2012 season with 54 total tackles, including 32 solo stops and 5.5 tackles for loss.

LB – Steffon Martin, Arizona State (Pike)

One of the top junior college transfers a year ago, Martin made 10 starts for the Sun Devils in 2012 and finished with 27 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss. Martin, a senior, should be among Arizona State’s defensive leaders this year.

DB – Isaiah Lewis, Michigan State (Ben Davis)

A three-year starter, Lewis is on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list given to the top defensive back in the country. Lewis was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection a year ago after making a career-high 80 tackles. He has six interceptions and 10 pass breakups in his career.

DB – Jeff Garrett, Ball State (Ben Davis)

A three-year letterwinner, Garrett (left) has 22 starts in his career and finished fifth on the team with 57 tackles a year ago and was second with six pass breakups.

DB – Greg Heban, Indiana (Delta)

It’s never a good sign when a defensive back leads your team in tackles, but Heban proved IU’s most reliable defender a season ago. The converted baseball player led the team with 91 tackles, 68 solo and was the team leader in interceptions (three) and pass breakups (eight). Heban finished the Big Ten leader among defensive backs in tackles with 7.6 per game.

DB – Landon Feichter, Purdue (Fort Wayne Dwenger)

An All-Big Ten honorable mention last year, Feichter started all 13 games for the Boilers and was named the team’s defensive MVP. His four interceptions tied for the Big Ten lead and his 80 tackles were a team best.

K – Sam Ficken, Penn State (Valparaiso)

Last season got off to a rough start for the former All-State kicker, but Ficken bounced back, finishing the year with 10 straight field goal makes, including a game-winning effort on Senior Day.

P – Kyle Christy, Florida (Brownsburg)

An All-SEC first team selection and Ray Guy Award finalist, Christy led the SEC in punting average (45.8 yards per punt). His 44.3 yard average is second best in school history and he’s popped up on a few publications’ preseason All-America lists.

LS - Andrew East, Vanderbilt (North Central)

We leave no stone unturned. We’ve got ourselves a long snapper. And a good one at that. This season marks the third consecutive year East will handle the primary snapping duties for the Commodores and was a key part of a special teams unit the set a school record for field goals.

Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert win big at ACMs

Brian Mansfield

USA TODAY

Miranda Lambert stockpiled trophies quickly Sunday at the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards in Texas. The singer, who led all ACM contenders this year with eight nominations, won her sixth consecutive award for female vocalist of the year. She also won her fourth award for top album for Platinum, as well as song of the year for her hit Automatic.

"I don't even realize what's happening tonight, but thank y'all so much, Texas," Lambert said as she accepted the trophy for top female vocalist.

Co-host Luke Bryan won his second award for entertainer of the year, as the ACM celebrated its 50th anniversary in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The three-and-a-half-hour telecast was the most-attended live awards show ever.

"Everything is bigger in Texas, and that's why we came here to celebrate the ACM's 50th anniversary," said singer Blake Shelton, who hosted the show with Bryan.

Lambert's album-of-the-year award tied her with George Strait for the most wins in that category. She also won song of the year in 2013 for Over You, which she wrote with husband Shelton. In 2011, her hit The House That Built Me, written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, won.

Randy Travis is the only other artist to have three of his hits win song of the year from the Academy.

The two awards brought Lambert's ACM total to 20, more than any other women in the academy's history.

Jason Aldean won his third consecutive award for male vocalist, noting during his acceptance speech that he had opened a concert for presenter Trisha Yearwood when he was a teenager. Florida Georgia Line won a pair of awards, one for vocal duo of the year and a pre-telecast award for the duo's This Is How We Roll collaboration with Bryan.

One of the night's most touching moments came with Lee Brice's introduction of Travis, who has suffered severe health problems, including a stroke, over the past two years. He has rarely been seen in public during that time.

Strait, the only country singer named the ACM's entertainer of the year in four different decades, received the first Milestone Award at the show Sunday.

The Texas native is one of seven artists to be honored with a Milestone Award, along with Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Lambert and Taylor Swift.

Strait, who had won 21 ACM awards going into the night, also performed, combining his 1987 classic All My Ex's Live in Texas with his newest single Let It Go.

Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, presented her daughter with her Milestone. Andrea, recently diagnosed with cancer, fought tears as she spoke of watching "the tangled-hair girl growing up on our farm" turning into a woman "brave enough to explore her musical curiosity, having a voice against those who hate and giving of herself in need."

Taylor thanked the country music industry for the grace with which it accepted the news she had made a fully pop album in 1989. "I'm so happy I learned to write songs in a town like Nashville," she said. "I'm so glad I learned what hard work is from my heroes who are sitting here."

Throughout the show, performers tipped their proverbial hats to history.

The telecast began with Eric Church and Keith Urban performing Church's Pledge Allegiance to the Hag, a salute to the ACMs first entertainer of the year, Merle Haggard. Though the ACM first handed out awards in 1965, the organization didn't create a top-entertainer award until 1970, the year Haggard won. After Pledge Allegiance to the Hag, Church and Urban segued into their duet, Raise 'Em Up.

Many other performers, including Strait, McEntire and Aldean, performed medleys of their hits.

The ACM also imported some talent from the pop world. Christina Aguilera joined Rascal Flatts to sing Shotgun, a song written for her character on Nashville, and the trio's current single, Riot. Later, Nick Jonas teamed up with Dan + Shay for a mash-up of his Jealous and the duo's Nothin' Like You.

Performances

Pledge Allegiance to the Hag/Raise 'Em Up, Eric Church and Keith Urban

All My Ex's Live in Texas/Let It Go, George Strait

Sippin' on Fire, Florida Georgia Line

Forever and Ever, Amen, Lee Brice

Take Your Time, Sam Hunt

Riser, Dierks Bentley

Independence Day, Martina McBride

I See You, Luke Bryan

Mama's Broken Heart/Little Red Wagon, Miranda Lambert

Tonight Looks Good on You/My Kind of Party/Hicktown/She's Country, Jason Aldean

Is There Life Out There/The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia/Fancy/Going Out Like That, Reba McEntire

Girl Crush, Little Big Town

Ain't Worth the Whiskey, Cole Swindell

Make Me Wanna, Thomas Rhett

Sangria, Blake Shelton

Shotgun/Riot, Christina Aguilera and Rascal Flatts

All-American Kid, Garth Brooks

Young/Wild Child, Kenny Chesney

Long Stretch of Love, Lady Antebellum

Gentle on My Mind, Brett Eldredge and Beth Behrs

Jealous/Nothin' Like You, Nick Jonas and Dan + Shay

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), Alan Jackson

Crushin' It, Brad Paisley

My Maria, Brooks & Dunn

Let the Good Times Roll, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker

Astros throw the World Series' first combined no-hitter against the ...

CNN —

Cristian Javier’s parents had a notion he’d deliver something special in Game 4 of the World Series. And the Houston Astros starter, with three of his fellow hurlers, would prove them right.

The Astros on Wednesday produced the first combined no-hitter in World Series history – and the Fall Classic’s second no-hitter overall – as Javier and Houston’s bullpen blanked the host Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2 and secure their place in baseball lore.

Javier tossed six innings of no-hit ball while starting for the Astros, striking out nine and walking two over 97 pitches before being relieved.

Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero then each pitched a perfect inning before Ryan Pressly closed out the Phillies in the ninth, leaving the hosts without a hit at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

After the last out, Javier ran from his dugout to hug Pressly on the mound, surrounded by their celebrating teammates. In an interview on the field, he was asked when he knew the night would be special.

“It’s funny. My parents told me today I was going to throw a no-hitter, and thanks to God, I was able to accomplish that,” Javier told Fox Sports, via a translator.

Javier, who hails from the Dominican Republic, later told reporters his father had arrived just a day earlier in the US to watch him pitch.

Javier departed the game with a 5-0 lead, with the Astros scoring all their runs in the fifth. Houston manager Dusty Baker said postgame he was thinking of Javier and protecting his health when deciding to pull him after the sixth, noting Javier’s increasing pitch count and the strength of the Astros’ bullpen.

“It’s always tough to take a guy out, but you have to weigh the no-hitter and history versus trying to win this game and get back to 2-2 in the World Series,” Baker said.

The only previous no-hitter in 118 years of World Series history came from one pitcher, Don Larsen, who tossed a perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

The Astros now hold the distinction of throwing the first combined no-hitter not just in the World Series but in postseason history, according to Major League Baseball. Outside the Astros’ and Larsen’s feats, the only other no-hitter in the postseason was tossed by Roy Halladay for the Phillies in the 2010 National League Divisional Series.

Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson noted the Phillies had a no-hitter pitched against them by the New York Mets earlier this year, then won the next day.

“These guys, they got a short memory. They’re going to go home tonight. They’re going to go to bed and come back in here tomorrow and prep and compete like they always do,” Thomson said.

This is Houston’s second no-hitter this season. On June 25, Javier, Hector Neris and Pressly combined for one against the Yankees.

The Astros catcher who called his team’s pitches Wednesday, Christian Vazquez, also ran to embrace Pressly after the game. Houston’s pitching coach, Joshua Miller, praised Vazquez for his role.

“He’s calling every pitch, he’s seeing the movement, he’s seeing the hitter reaction,” Miller said, according to MLB.com. “It’s huge, knowing what to call and when to maybe vacate the general game plan in certain situations.”

Vazquez said he did not think of completing Wednesday’s no-hitter until “maybe the last inning” due to the potent Phillies lineup, which slugged its way to a Game 3 victory Tuesday.

“We’ve not finished the job yet, but this is very, very special for us. And when we get old we’re going to remember this,” Vazquez said.

Travis Caldwell Jill Martin Jason Hanna
Travis Caldwell
Jill Martin
Jason Hanna

China Covid: Protests erupt in unprecedented challenge to Xi ...

Beijing CNN —

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday faced unprecedented dissent after thousands of demonstrators protested in cities across China over the weekend against his zero-Covid strategy – with some daring to openly call for his removal in the streets.

“Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!” some protesters yelled among hundreds who gathered in the financial hub Shanghai – one of multiple major cities where protests broke out following a deadly fire Thursday at an apartment block in the far western region of Xinjiang.

The fire appeared to act as a catalyst for searing public anger over China’s strict zero-Covid measures after videos emerged that seemed to suggest lockdown measures delayed firefighters from reaching the victims.

Hear protesters in China call for Xi Jinping's resignation 02:05 - Source: CNN

From Shanghai to the capital Beijing, residents gathered to grieve the 10 people killed in the blaze in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi, speak out against zero-Covid and call for freedom and democracy. On dozens of university campuses, students demonstrated or put up protest posters. In many parts of the country, residents in locked-down neighborhoods tore down barriers and took to the streets, following mass anti-lockdown protests that swept Urumqi on Friday night.

Such widespread scenes of anger and defiance – some of which stretched into the early hours of Monday morning – are exceptionally rare in China, where the ruling Communist Party ruthlessly cracks down on all expressions of dissent. But three years into the pandemic, many people have been pushed to the brink by the government’s incessant use of lockdowns, Covid tests and quarantines – as well as ever-tightening censorship and continued onslaught on personal freedoms.

The ratcheting-up of restrictions in recent months, coupled with a series of heartbreaking deaths blamed on an over-zealous policing of the controls, has brought matters to a head.

He fully supported China's zero-Covid policy. Hear why he changed his mind 03:30 - Source: CNN

Chinese stock markets and the yuan tumbled in early trade Monday amid concern about the government’s potential response to the protests, which varied from city to city and in some areas became more heavy-handed as the weekend progressed.

At a news conference Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian deflected questions about the protests and claimed that social media posts linking the Xinjiang fire with Covid policies had “ulterior motives.”

Authorities had been “making adjustments based on realities on the ground,” he said. When asked about protesters calling on Xi to step down, he replied: “I’m not aware of the situation you mentioned.”

Though the protests made headlines in international media, Chinese state media carried stories and opinion pieces stressing the severity of the Covid outbreak and the need to persevere with methods to stamp it out.

“Practices have proven that our Covid measures can stand the test of history, they are scientific and effective,” said an opinion piece published by the Xinhua news agency on Monday. “Perseverance prevails.”

But the challenge to zero-Covid posed by the spread of more contagious variants was underlined Monday when China reported 40,052 new local cases – the sixth consecutive day of record figures, according to the National Health Commission.

Nearly 4,000 of those infections were identified in Beijing, where – without referring to the protests – city authorities on Sunday banned blocking entrances to residential compounds under lockdown, adding that access must be granted to emergency services.

Protests in Shanghai

Demonstrators stand by protest signs in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. AP

Brewing anger over the fire deaths led to remarkable acts of defiance in Shanghai, where many of its 25 million residents hold deep resentment toward the government’s zero-Covid policy after being subjected to a two-month lockdown in the spring.

Late on Saturday night, hundreds of residents gathered for a candlelight vigil on Urumqi Road, which was named after the city, to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire, according to videos widely circulated – and promptly censored – on Chinese social media and a witness account.

Surrounding a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers and placards, the crowd held up blank sheets of white paper – in what is traditionally a symbolic protest against censorship – and chanted, “Need human rights, need freedom.”

Why protesters in China are holding up white paper 01:32 - Source: CNN

In multiple videos seen by CNN, people could be heard shouting demands for Xi and the Communist Party to “step down.” The crowd also chanted, “Don’t want Covid test, want freedom!” and “Don’t want dictatorship, want democracy!”

Some videos show people singing China’s national anthem and The Internationale, a standard of the socialist movement, while holding banners protesting the country’s exceptionally stringent pandemic measures.

Rows of police officers, who initially looked on from the outside, started to move in to push back and divide the crowd around 3 a.m., sparking tense face-offs with the protesters, according to a witness.

The witness told CNN they saw several people arrested and taken into a police vehicle next to the makeshift memorial after 4.30 a.m. They also saw several protesters being grabbed by the officers from the crowd and taken behind the police line. The protest gradually dispersed before dawn, the witness said.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of Shanghai residents returned to the site to continue protesting despite a heavy police presence and road blocks.

Videos showed hundreds of people at an intersection shouting “Release the people!” in a demand for the police to free detained demonstrators.

Crowds shouting "Release the people!" in Shanghai. @whyyoutouzhele/Twitter

This time around, police adopted a more hardline approach, moving faster and more aggressively to make arrests and disperse the crowds.

In one video, a man holding a bundle of chrysanthemum gave a speech while walking on a pedestrian crossing, as a police officer tried to stop him.

“We need to be braver! Am I breaking the law by holding flowers?” he asked the crowd, who shouted “No!” in reply.

“We Chinese need to be braver!” he said to the applause of the crowd. “So many of us were arrested yesterday. Are they without job or without family? We should not be afraid!”

The man put up a struggle as more than a dozen officers forced him into a police car, as the angry crowd shouted “Release him!” and rushed toward the vehicle.

Other videos show chaotic scenes of police pushing, dragging and beating protesters.

In the evening, after one protester was violently dragged away, hundreds of people shouted “triads” at the police, in reference to local crime gangs, according to a livestream.

BBC journalist Edward Lawrence was arrested at the scene of the Shanghai protests on Sunday night and later released, according to a statement from the BBC. A BBC spokesperson expressed concern about Lawrence’s treatment, claiming he was “beaten and kicked by the police.”

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao acknowledged Lawrence’s arrest, claiming he had not identified himself as a journalist before being detained.

Police officers block Shanghai's Urumqi Road on Sunday. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

Demonstration spreads

By Sunday evening, mass demonstrations had spread to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Wuhan, where thousands of residents called for not only an end to Covid restrictions, but more remarkably, political freedoms.

In Beijing, hundreds of mostly young people demonstrated in the commercial heart of the city well into the small hours of Monday. A small crowd first gathered along the Liangma River for a vigil for the victims of the Xinjiang fire, before it grew in size and eventually marched down the city’s Third Ring Road.

People chanted slogans against zero-Covid, voiced support for the detained protesters in Shanghai, and called for greater civil liberties. “We want freedom! We want freedom!” the crowd chanted under an overpass.

A Beijing protester holds a candal in demonstrations on Sunday night. Ng Han Guan/AP

Speaking to CNN’s Selina Wang at the protest, a demonstrator said he was shocked by the turnout.

“Every conscientious Chinese should be here. They don’t have to voice their opinions, but I hope they can stand with us,” he said.

In the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, large crowds demonstrated along the bustling river banks in a popular food and shopping district, according to a protester interviewed by CNN and videos circulating online.

The gathering started with a minute of silence to mourn the Xinjiang fire victims, later turning political as the crowd grew in size, numbering into the hundreds.

“Opposition to dictatorship!” the crowd chanted. “We don’t want lifelong rulers. We don’t want emperors!” they shouted in a thinly veiled reference to Xi, who last month began a norm-shattering third term in office.

Protesters hold up blank papers and chant slogans as they march in protest in Beijing on Sunday night. Ng Han Guan/AP

In the southern city of Guangzhou, hundreds gathered on a public square in Haizhu district – the epicenter of the city’s ongoing Covid outbreak that has been locked down for weeks.

“We don’t want lockdowns, we want freedom! Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of arts, freedom of movement, personal freedoms. Give me back my freedom!” The crowd shouted.

University campuses

Across China, protests have also broken out on university campuses – which are particularly politically sensitive to the Communist Party, given the history of the student-led Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in 1989.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, about 100 students gathered around a protest slogan painted on a wall at the prestigious Peking University in Beijing. A student told CNN that when he arrived at the scene at around 1 a.m., security guards were using jackets to cover the protest sign.

A security guard tries to cover a protest slogan against zero-Covid on the campus of Peking University in Beijing. Obtained by CNN

“Say no to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to Covid test, yes to food,” read the message written in red paint, echoing the slogan of a protest that took place on a Beijing overpass in October, just days before a key Communist Party meeting at which Xi secured a third term in power.

“Open your eyes and look at the world, dynamic zero-Covid is a lie,” the protest slogan at Peking University read.

The student said security guards later covered the slogan with black paint.

Students at the Communication University of China, Nanjing gather in a vigil on Saturday evening to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire. @whyyoutouzhele/Twitter

Students later gathered to sing the The Internationale before being dispersed by teachers and security guards.

In the eastern province of Jiangsu, at least dozens of students from Communication University of China, Nanjing gathered on Saturday evening to mourn those who died in the Xinjiang fire. Videos show the students holding up sheets of white paper and mobile phone flashlights.

In one video, a university official could be heard warning the students: “You will pay for what you did today.”

Hundreds of students at Tsinghua University in Beijing gathered on Sunday to protest against zero-Covid and censorship. Obtained by CNN

“You too, and so will the country,” a student shouted in reply.

The campus protests continued on Sunday. At Tsinghua University, another elite university in Beijing, hundreds of students gathered on a square to protest against zero-Covid and censorship.

Videos and images circulating on social media show students holding up sheets of white paper and shouting: “Democracy and rule of law! Freedom of expression!”

Google is named Fortune's top place to work for 6th year in a row

David Carrig

USA TODAY

What would you want in a workplace?

How about such perks as free gourmet food, haircuts, and laundry services. Or maybe strong parental leave policies and diversity initiatives.

All of these things helped Silicon Valley’s Google nab the top spot in Fortune’s annual list of the 100 best companies to work for — again.

The tech giant has been named the top workplace for the sixth straight year. It's the eighth time in 11 years Google has topped the list.

Fortune cited the culture at Google as a top reason for the designation and said "Town halls held by black Googlers and allies, support for transgender workers, and unconscious-bias workshops (already attended by more than 70% of staff) help foster what employees say is a 'safe and inclusive' workplace at this hive of high performers."

More on workplace issues:

Millennials will take a happier workplace over better pay

Sexism in the workplace is worse than you thought

Twelve companies have made the grade every time in the 20 years Fortune has been compiling the list: Cisco, Four Season Hotels and Resorts, Goldman Sachs, Marriott International, Nordstrom, Publix, REI, SAS, TDIndustries, Wegmans Food Markets, Whole Foods Market and W.L. Gore & Associates.

Five companies managed to muscle their way onto the list for the first time this year: Pinnacle Financial Partners, SAP America, Delta Air Lines, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and AT&T.

Here are the top 10 companies:

1. Google

2. Wegmans Food Markets

3. The Boston Consulting Group

4. Baird

5. Edward Jones

6. Genentech

7. Ultimate Software

8. Salesforce

9. Acuity Insurance

10. Quicken Loans

See Fortune’s complete list: The 100 best companies to work for

Correction: The company Genentech was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.