Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel’s war with Palestinian militant group Hamas will “continue for many months until Hamas is eliminated and the hostages are returned”. Netanyahu was speaking at a news conference hours after the health ministry in Gaza said more than 21,670 people have been killed and more than 56,160 injured from Israeli strikes in the enclave since October 7, the date of the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel. Read our live blog for all the day's
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases two widely followed home sales reports. Existing Home Sales measure transactions of homes other than new construction (i.e. previously owned and occupied homes). The Pending Sales index is an advance indicator for Existing Homes. It measures contract signings but not closed sales.
Through a combination of historically low affordability and inventory, both metrics have been operating at the lowest levels in more than a decade (not including the temporary drop in pending sales seen at the onset of pandemic lockdowns). Today's pending sales update kept the index perfectly unchanged at those long term lows.
There were small regional variations as follows:
Northeast... +0.8% versus last month (down 6.4% from last year)
Midwest .... +0.5% versus last month (down 2.2% from last year)
South......... -2.3% versus last month (down 6.5% from last year)
West.......... +4.2% versus last month (down 4.9% from last year)
As seen in the chart above, the sharpest deceleration in the pace of sales is likely behind us. Recent changes have been much smaller by comparison. NAR is hopeful for 2024, citing the recent decline in mortgage rates.
Additionally, NAR's Chief Economist Lawrence Yun noted "although declining mortgage rates did not induce more homebuyers to submit formal contracts in November, it has sparked a surge in interest, as evidenced by a higher number of lockbox openings."
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases two widely followed home sales reports. Existing Home Sales measure transactions of homes other than new construction (i.e. previously owned and occupied homes). The Pending Sales index is an advance indicator for Existing Homes. It measures contract signings but not closed sales.
Through a combination of historically low affordability and inventory, both metrics have been operating at the lowest levels in more than a decade (not including the temporary drop in pending sales seen at the onset of pandemic lockdowns). Today's pending sales update kept the index perfectly unchanged at those long term lows.
There were small regional variations as follows:
Northeast... +0.8% versus last month (down 6.4% from last year)
Midwest .... +0.5% versus last month (down 2.2% from last year)
South......... -2.3% versus last month (down 6.5% from last year)
West.......... +4.2% versus last month (down 4.9% from last year)
As seen in the chart above, the sharpest deceleration in the pace of sales is likely behind us. Recent changes have been much smaller by comparison. NAR is hopeful for 2024, citing the recent decline in mortgage rates.
Additionally, NAR's Chief Economist Lawrence Yun noted "although declining mortgage rates did not induce more homebuyers to submit formal contracts in November, it has sparked a surge in interest, as evidenced by a higher number of lockbox openings."
Contract signings for US existing homesremained unchanged in November from the previous month even as mortgage rates scaled back from 23-year highs.
The index for pending home sales stayed at 71.6 in November, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released Thursday. The index reading was the lowest since the index’s founding in 2001. An index level of 100 is equal to the pace of contract activity in 2001.
The resultswere below the 0.9% increase that economists polled by Bloomberg had estimated.
The lack of change in the index, an early indicator of the housing market’s health, shows how some buyers may be hesitant to reenter the market despite the dip in mortgage rates last month. It may also reflect seasonal trends, as some buyers opt to wait until the holidays are over to return to their purchase plans.
Overall activity in the resale market remained below year-ago levels with pending transactions down 5.2%.
“Although declining mortgage rates did not induce more homebuyers to submit formal contracts in November, it has sparked a surge in interest,” Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said in a press statement. “With mortgage rates falling further in December – leading to savings of around $300 per month from the recent cyclical peak in rates – home sales will improve in 2024.”
According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales fell 1.5% in October to their lowest level in 20 years. (Credit: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
‘Mortgage rates will be an important determinant’
As mortgage rates pulled away from multi-decade highs last month, homebuyer affordability showed modest signs of improvement.
After peaking at 7.79% in October, the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell from 7.76% in the first week of November to 7.22% in the last one, according to Freddie Mac. Since then, rates have fallen over a full percentage point from October’s peak.
The dip in rates over the last month came as signs of cooling inflation continued to convince investors that the Federal Reserve would pause its aggressive rate hike campaign in December.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury – which fixed-mortgage rates track – had brushed 5% in October and dipped back to 4.47% by mid-November. It has dropped even further since, as the Fed decided to pause rate hikes during its December meeting before signaling up to three rate cuts next year.
That translated to slightly better mortgage payments for some folks on the market.
“With home prices likely to remain high, mortgage rates will be an important determinant of both affordability and overall activity,” Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale said.
For instance, homebuyers taking out a conventional purchase loan in November had an average monthly cost of $2,137, down $62 from October, according to a separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Meanwhile, FHA applicants paid an average of $1,902 in November, down from $1,995 in October.
Overall, the average monthly payment for conventional loans was still up from $1,994 a year ago, the MBA noted, as rates are only part of the equation. That much was evident in the latest pending home sales data.
"Lower mortgage rates don't fix all the troubles in the housing market," Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com, previously told Yahoo Finance. "While they do help with affordability, they do little to increase the number of homes for sale in the market (which has throttled sales activity despite high financing costs), and the increase in buyer demand that lower rates may bring at the margins will likely serve to press home prices higher."
Month-over-month contract signings in the West and Midwest increased by 4.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, in the Northeast, the index rose just 0.8% month over month. The South, however, saw pending home sales contract by 2.3% from October. Overall, all fourregions registered year-over-year declines in transactions.
“Home sales activity could register better than expected if mortgage rates are able to hold on to the improvement garnered in the last two months, which has been faster than anticipated,” Hale said in a press statement, before noting that pending home sales tend to lead existing home sales by roughly one to two months.
Listings improved, but inventory remains scarce
A previously owned home is offered for sale in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, during the summer. (Scott Olson, Getty Images) (Scott Olson via Getty Images)
After a 17-month streak of declining listing activity, home sellers were more active in November, Realtor.com found. The number of newly listed homes was 7.5% above year-ago levels last month, offering a boost to inventory.
The number of homes actively on sale also rose by 0.7% on average in November, marking an end to a four-month streak of declines. Overall, inventory in November increased 2.4% from the month prior, the first time inventory has increased so late into the year since Realtor.com started the series in 2016.
Still, active inventory remained 37.8% below typical 2017 and 2019 levels, Realtor.com found, and that gap will continue to challenge sales entering the new year.
Economists at Realtor.com expect rates to exceed 6.5% in 2024, resulting in a lock-in effect for homeowners that already have lower rates. Roughly two-thirds of outstanding mortgages have a rate under 4%, and more than 90% have a rate under 6%.
That shortage of inventory, however, coupled with pent-up demand could result in increased transactions in 2024. That may also have some consequences, warned Gumbinger.
“The drop in rates makes it more likely that prices will start heading higher earlier than normal in 2024,” Gumbinger said, “and higher prices will erase some of the benefit of lower mortgage rates.”
Gabriellais a personal finance and housing reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X@__gabriellacruz.
Contract signings for US existing homesremained unchanged in November from the previous month even as mortgage rates scaled back from 23-year highs.
The index for pending home sales stayed at 71.6 in November, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released Thursday. The index reading was the lowest since the index’s founding in 2001. An index level of 100 is equal to the pace of contract activity in 2001.
The resultswere below the 0.9% increase that economists polled by Bloomberg had estimated.
The lack of change in the index, an early indicator of the housing market’s health, shows how some buyers may be hesitant to reenter the market despite the dip in mortgage rates last month. It may also reflect seasonal trends, as some buyers opt to wait until the holidays are over to return to their purchase plans.
Overall activity in the resale market remained below year-ago levels with pending transactions down 5.2%.
“Although declining mortgage rates did not induce more homebuyers to submit formal contracts in November, it has sparked a surge in interest,” Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said in a press statement. “With mortgage rates falling further in December – leading to savings of around $300 per month from the recent cyclical peak in rates – home sales will improve in 2024.”
According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales fell 1.5% in October to their lowest level in 20 years. (Credit: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
‘Mortgage rates will be an important determinant’
As mortgage rates pulled away from multi-decade highs last month, homebuyer affordability showed modest signs of improvement.
After peaking at 7.79% in October, the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell from 7.76% in the first week of November to 7.22% in the last one, according to Freddie Mac. Since then, rates have fallen over a full percentage point from October’s peak.
The dip in rates over the last month came as signs of cooling inflation continued to convince investors that the Federal Reserve would pause its aggressive rate hike campaign in December.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury – which fixed-mortgage rates track – had brushed 5% in October and dipped back to 4.47% by mid-November. It has dropped even further since, as the Fed decided to pause rate hikes during its December meeting before signaling up to three rate cuts next year.
That translated to slightly better mortgage payments for some folks on the market.
“With home prices likely to remain high, mortgage rates will be an important determinant of both affordability and overall activity,” Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale said.
For instance, homebuyers taking out a conventional purchase loan in November had an average monthly cost of $2,137, down $62 from October, according to a separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Meanwhile, FHA applicants paid an average of $1,902 in November, down from $1,995 in October.
Overall, the average monthly payment for conventional loans was still up from $1,994 a year ago, the MBA noted, as rates are only part of the equation. That much was evident in the latest pending home sales data.
"Lower mortgage rates don't fix all the troubles in the housing market," Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com, previously told Yahoo Finance. "While they do help with affordability, they do little to increase the number of homes for sale in the market (which has throttled sales activity despite high financing costs), and the increase in buyer demand that lower rates may bring at the margins will likely serve to press home prices higher."
Month-over-month contract signings in the West and Midwest increased by 4.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, in the Northeast, the index rose just 0.8% month over month. The South, however, saw pending home sales contract by 2.3% from October. Overall, all fourregions registered year-over-year declines in transactions.
“Home sales activity could register better than expected if mortgage rates are able to hold on to the improvement garnered in the last two months, which has been faster than anticipated,” Hale said in a press statement, before noting that pending home sales tend to lead existing home sales by roughly one to two months.
Listings improved, but inventory remains scarce
A previously owned home is offered for sale in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, during the summer. (Scott Olson, Getty Images) (Scott Olson via Getty Images)
After a 17-month streak of declining listing activity, home sellers were more active in November, Realtor.com found. The number of newly listed homes was 7.5% above year-ago levels last month, offering a boost to inventory.
The number of homes actively on sale also rose by 0.7% on average in November, marking an end to a four-month streak of declines. Overall, inventory in November increased 2.4% from the month prior, the first time inventory has increased so late into the year since Realtor.com started the series in 2016.
Still, active inventory remained 37.8% below typical 2017 and 2019 levels, Realtor.com found, and that gap will continue to challenge sales entering the new year.
Economists at Realtor.com expect rates to exceed 6.5% in 2024, resulting in a lock-in effect for homeowners that already have lower rates. Roughly two-thirds of outstanding mortgages have a rate under 4%, and more than 90% have a rate under 6%.
That shortage of inventory, however, coupled with pent-up demand could result in increased transactions in 2024. That may also have some consequences, warned Gumbinger.
“The drop in rates makes it more likely that prices will start heading higher earlier than normal in 2024,” Gumbinger said, “and higher prices will erase some of the benefit of lower mortgage rates.”
Gabriellais a personal finance and housing reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X@__gabriellacruz.
CHICAGO (CBS) – A man is critically hurt after being shot in the face during a fight in the Washington Park neighborhood Wednesday morning.
Police said just before 11:30 a.m., the 24-year-old victim was involved in an altercation with another man while outside, in the 5600 block of South Michigan Avenue.
He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.
A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week
EYE ON MANUFACTURING
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond issues its monthly manufacturing activity index Wednesday.
The index represents a weighted average of the shipments, new orders and employment indexes covering the bank’s district, which encompasses several states, including Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. Economists expect December’s reading improved to -4 from -5 in November. The index can range between +100 and -100. Readings above zero indicate expansion in manufacturing activity.
Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, monthly.
July -9.0
Aug. -7.0
Sept. 5.0
Oct. 3.0
Nov. -5.0
Dec. (est.) -4.0
Source: FactSet
TRACKING HOME SALES
The National Association of Realtors releases its latest monthly pending home sales index Thursday.
Pending home sales fell 1.5% in October as the average rate on a 30-year mortgage surged to its highest level since 2000. Economists predict the index rose 0.5% last month, as easing mortgage rates gave homebuyers some breathing room. A lag of a month or two usually exists between a signed contract and a completed sale, which makes the index a barometer of finalized home purchases over the next two months.
Pending home sales index, monthly percent change:
June 0.4
July 0.5
Aug. -7.1
Sept. 1.0
Oct. -1.5
Nov. (est.) 0.5
Source: FactSet
ECONOMIC INDICATOR
MNI Indicators delivers its monthly Chicago business barometer index Friday.
The index, a key gauge of U.S. regional business activity, increased to 55.8 in November, its highest level since May 2022. The higher reading reflected growth in new orders, inventories and production activity. Economists project that this month’s reading fell to 49.8. Readings above 50 indicate economic activity is growing.
Chicago business barometer, monthly, seasonally adjusted:
Brad Kline, the Maryland real estate developer poised to buy the massive 3,000-acre Ormond Crossings development site in Ormond Beach, has been in business since 1978.
So what projects has he done?
An Internet search of news stories about Kline's developments produced only a handful of results.
They include a small mixed-use development in Ashburn, Virginia, involving the recently completed renovation of two historic buildings to include some residential units, a restaurant and a home decor shop, and a current project called Discovery Square South in Herndon, Virginia, , according to news reports in the Loudoun (Virginia) Times-Mirror and Washington Business Journal, respectively.
The Discovery Square South project calls for the creation of 43 townhomes, four live/work units and 29,000 square feet of retail.
In 1998, the Washington Post ran a story that mentioned Kline's interest in buying a 500-acre tract of land in Dumfries, Virginia, for a potential project that would have created 400 to 500 homes, a swimming club, hiking trails and recreational areas.
Kline has also attempted some more ambitious projects in recent years, including a 50-acre mixed-use development called Purcellville Crossroads, in Purcellville, Virginia.
When the Purcellville town council rejected his original proposal in 2016, he revised his plans to build just 73 single-family homes and a 75,000-square-foot commercial/entertainment center, according to a report in a publication called LoudounNow.
Evergreene Homes is currently advertising new homes for sale at Purcellville Crossroads, but a sales agent for the builder who spoke with The News-Journal on Thursday said the project only has 13 house lots and did not include a commercial/entertainment center.
Kline in 2018 presented plans in Frederick, Maryland, for a 173-acre mixed-use project called Jefferson Tech Park. The project was to include a 200-room hotel, 825 homes and 1.4 million square feet of "office and employment space," according to the Frederick News-Post.
In a phone interview Thursday, Andy Schotz, editor of the Frederick News-Post, said he did not know much about Jefferson Tech Park other than the fact that commercial real estate brokerage CBRE recently began marketing available space in a planned 500,000-square-foot life science campus coming to the mixed-use development.
Schotz was not editor when the News-Post ran its stories on Kline in 2018.
Brian Rademacher, economic development director for Ormond Beach, said Kline mentioned both Jefferson Tech Park and the project in Ashburn, Virginia, when the developer met with him to discuss Ormond Crossings.
The News-Journal was unable to reach Kline for comment.
PARIS: A plane carrying 276 Indian passengers took off on Monday (Dec 25) for Mumbai, the French interior ministry's local office said, after it was grounded for four days pending investigation into possible human trafficking.
The flight, carried out by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had departed from Dubai and landed at the small Vatry airport on Thursday (Dec 21) for a technical stopover when police intervened, the Marne prefecture said in a statement.
Bound for Nicaragua, the flight arrived in France with 303 Indian passengers onboard.
After being interrogated by police, two people investigated for human trafficking have been placed under "assisted witness" status while the investigation continues, according to the prosecutor's office.
Another 25 people, including five minors, have stayed in France where they wish to seek asylum, authorities said.
WILLIAMSBURG — The driver of an SUV that struck and seriously injured a William & Mary student nearly two months ago told police he didn’t see anyone before the collision.
That’s according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Williamsburg-James City County Circuit Court in the week after the Oct. 26 crash.
Police identified the driver as Cliff Fleet, the president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The day of the crash, police said charges were pending, but there have been no updates on the investigation since. Last week, Commonwealth’s Attorney Nate Green said that his office was still waiting to receive the final report from the Virginia State Police before making a determination on charges.
The morning of Oct. 26, Rosemary Raynal, a 21-year-old junior, was crossing Richmond Road near the Armistead Avenue intersection near the William & Mary campus when she was struck by Fleet’s black Audi SUV. Raynal suffered a number of injuries, including fractures in her hip, scapula and skull as well as brain trauma.
Following the crash, Raynal was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she remained in intensive care for nearly a week before she was transferred to a traumatic brain injury center in Raleigh, North Carolina, near where her family lives.
An initial news release indicated that speed did not appear to be a factor.
Since then, inquiries on the status of the investigation have revealed no new information. Sgt. Michelle Anaya, a state police spokeswoman, said in an email that a report would be provided to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office once completed.
According to documents filed in court Nov. 3, the driver told police he was listening to music playing from the entertainment system at the time of the crash. A state police investigator asked to search the 2023 Audi Q8’s “infotainment module,” which is “capable of, and known to, store electronic data relating to the use and movement of the vehicle,” the affidavit said.
Investigators obtained a printout of the “front radar/warning/cruise control fault list,” according to court documents.
A William & Mary student was hit about 8:12 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2023, by an SUV driving east near on Richmond Road. (Courtesy of Virginia State Police)
The stretch of road where the crash occurred has a 25 mph speed limit and is a main thoroughfare for William & Mary students. A number of crosswalks are along the stretch of road, marked with bright yellow signs and some with flashing lights that can be activated by walkers.
Raynal’s mother said police told her Rosemary entered the crosswalk on Richmond Road and looked both ways before she was struck. In November, Ann Brooke Raynal said that the timeline for recovery could be weeks to years. The family recently declined further comment.
Sian Wilkerson, 757-342-6616, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com
Each year the CFL quarterback carousel takes a spin. Some years — like the spring of 2023 — see landmark shifts in the shape of the game caused by movement of its biggest stars.
Last winter Bo Levi Mitchell was traded from Hamilton to Calgary, a move that despite a years’ worth of separation and actually seeing Mitchell in Ticats colours still doesn’t seem to compute. We also had the farewell — for now — of McLeod Bethel-Thompson down south, allowing former SEC QB Chad Kelly to assume the reins in Toronto en route to his emotional Most Outstanding Player speech November in Niagara Falls, Ont.
This time around there might not be a Mitchell or MacBeth to grab your headline, but the options and their possibilities are no less intriguing.
I have great respect for the game of Davis and have been present multiple times during his journey through Montreal and Ottawa to see him tear apart defences, but the consistency just hasn’t been there. Until it is he will be battling uphill to climb out of this journeyman category.
Dolegala and Fine both showed flashes in 2023 but again when your best can’t always be relied upon it’s hard for any organization to open the wallet and hang its future on your game. Meanwhile Locksley had an adventurous season between an Edmonton exodus and carving out a role for himself in Hamilton. Locksley emerged as a hybrid weapon that could intrigue an outside-the-box thinker somewhere throughout the CFL if they could get Locksley on the same page with those around him.
Nick Arbuckle spent the 2023 season with the REDBLACKS, and could test free agency in February (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)
This feels like a make or break year for everything around the Ottawa REDBLACKS, with Shawn Burke back as general manager and head coach Bob Dyce back in the fold as well. Offensive coordinator Khari Jones was let go after the REDBLACKS’ 4-14 finish and the quarterback situation hinges greatly on what deal Jeremiah Masoli is willing to take after another injury cut another season short for him.
Dustin Crum led the way home but will new OC Tommy Condell advocate to build around him or to bring in Dane Evans, who worked with Condell in Hamilton? All of this is to say, I have no idea where Arbuckle slots in much in the same vein that Prukop’s future is up in the air.
Every once in a while Prukop will show you an element of his game which makes you believe he’s destined for much more than his backup role in Winnipeg. The challenge comes in actually making that leap through perception or reality of fans and team decision makers.
Matthew Shiltz has served as a backup but has closed out the Eastern Semi-Final for the Ticats the last two years (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
Evans is a starting quarterback in the CFL. I firmly believe that and want to see him get the chance somewhere after a year to gather his game and thoughts in Vancouver. Shiltz, Evans’ former teammate in Hamilton, has also earned the right to be viewed that way in my opinion. New Ticats’ head coach Scott Milanovich’s off-season assessments will play a larger role than any other in determining whether or not that is possible with the Ticats, as a decision needs to be made on Bo Levi Mitchell’s future before long.
With that we come to the largest question mark of the quarterback carousel: how will people view Brown after earning his stripes and the verbal support of Zach Collaros through his time in Winnipeg?
While much of this has to do with teams’ internal decisions (Hamilton, Saskatchewan, Ottawa) on their current perceived starters and overall plan at QB1, Brown’s ability and potential is obvious and should be viewed as a real threat to any quarterback in any situation who sees him sign on the dotted line of their current club.
Is Brown a legitimate CFL starter or simply the best of the unknown potential ‘next’ crop? Only time will tell but there’s no denying his game matches the style many teams have chosen to play around the CFL these days.
Ukraine ends year anxious over pending aid from allies
CNN's Michael Holmes speaks with Jill Dougherty about how stalled aid for Ukraine helps Russian morale and could embolden other malicious states with intent to harm the U.S.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma Game Wardens solved a mystery after dumped deer carcasses and deer legs were found in Jone adjacent to a road.
On November 27, Game Warden Mark Murray was off duty and driving east of Jones when he noticed what appeared to be a dumped deer adjacent to the road.
According to the Oklahoma Game Wardens, upon a closer look, Murray determined it was not just one dumped deer but multiple dumped deer carcasses and deer legs with a large quantity of dumped household trash.
Another pile of deer and trash was found nearly 100 yards from the first pile.
Officials said it was apparent that someone had dumped the first pile and then drove down the right-of-way before dumping the second pile due to the set of tire tracks on the morning’s heavy frost.
The Oklahoma Game Warden said State Game Warden Dalton Buley assisted Warden Murray with the investigation.
The two wardens collected 172 deer legs, with many of them having tags marked with what appeared to be hunting license numbers and confirmation numbers.
The wardens suspected the deer legs were discards from a wild game processor. They searched databases to determine who harvested the deer. Follow-up communications with the hunters confirmed the Wardens’ suspicion. Each deer that was reported was taken to the same processor.
Wardens Mike France, Dalton Buley, and Tim Campbell met with the processor the following day. After a short interview, officials said the processor reported that discards, such as the deer legs and carcasses are given to multiple people who request them for various uses, such as feeding chickens and using them for fertilizer.
After investigating the people who had received the discards from the processor, Warden Buley narrowed down the investigation to one individual who confessed to dumping the deer along with household trash
At this time, charges are pending in District Court.
Improper dumping of deer carcasses is frequently a problem. Wardens throughout the state receive many calls related to such violations. State law dictates the legal ways to dispose of animal carcasses or remains - but leaving them on the side of the road is not one of them. Animal carcasses cannot be dumped in any well, spring, pond, or stream of water, and cannot be dumped closer than one-quarter mile from an occupied dwelling or a public roadway without burying. Please dispose of the carcasses of your legally harvested game in a lawful and appropriate manner to avoid costly fines and to do your part in preserving the integrity of our land and waterways in this great state. - The Oklahoma Game Wardens
Each year the CFL quarterback carousel takes a spin. Some years — like the spring of 2023 — see landmark shifts in the shape of the game caused by movement of its biggest stars.
Last winter Bo Levi Mitchell was traded from Hamilton to Calgary, a move that despite a years’ worth of separation and actually seeing Mitchell in Ticats colours still doesn’t seem to compute. We also had the farewell — for now — of McLeod Bethel-Thompson down south, allowing former SEC QB Chad Kelly to assume the reins in Toronto en route to his emotional Most Outstanding Player speech November in Niagara Falls, Ont.
This time around there might not be a Mitchell or MacBeth to grab your headline, but the options and their possibilities are no less intriguing.
I have great respect for the game of Davis and have been present multiple times during his journey through Montreal and Ottawa to see him tear apart defences, but the consistency just hasn’t been there. Until it is he will be battling uphill to climb out of this journeyman category.
Dolegala and Fine both showed flashes in 2023 but again when your best can’t always be relied upon it’s hard for any organization to open the wallet and hang its future on your game. Meanwhile Locksley had an adventurous season between an Edmonton exodus and carving out a role for himself in Hamilton. Locksley emerged as a hybrid weapon that could intrigue an outside-the-box thinker somewhere throughout the CFL if they could get Locksley on the same page with those around him.
Nick Arbuckle spent the 2023 season with the REDBLACKS, and could test free agency in February (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)
This feels like a make or break year for everything around the Ottawa REDBLACKS, with Shawn Burke back as general manager and head coach Bob Dyce back in the fold as well. Offensive coordinator Khari Jones was let go after the REDBLACKS’ 4-14 finish and the quarterback situation hinges greatly on what deal Jeremiah Masoli is willing to take after another injury cut another season short for him.
Dustin Crum led the way home but will new OC Tommy Condell advocate to build around him or to bring in Dane Evans, who worked with Condell in Hamilton? All of this is to say, I have no idea where Arbuckle slots in much in the same vein that Prukop’s future is up in the air.
Every once in a while Prukop will show you an element of his game which makes you believe he’s destined for much more than his backup role in Winnipeg. The challenge comes in actually making that leap through perception or reality of fans and team decision makers.
Matthew Shiltz has served as a backup but has closed out the Eastern Semi-Final for the Ticats the last two years (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
Evans is a starting quarterback in the CFL. I firmly believe that and want to see him get the chance somewhere after a year to gather his game and thoughts in Vancouver. Shiltz, Evans’ former teammate in Hamilton, has also earned the right to be viewed that way in my opinion. New Ticats’ head coach Scott Milanovich’s off-season assessments will play a larger role than any other in determining whether or not that is possible with the Ticats, as a decision needs to be made on Bo Levi Mitchell’s future before long.
With that we come to the largest question mark of the quarterback carousel: how will people view Brown after earning his stripes and the verbal support of Zach Collaros through his time in Winnipeg?
While much of this has to do with teams’ internal decisions (Hamilton, Saskatchewan, Ottawa) on their current perceived starters and overall plan at QB1, Brown’s ability and potential is obvious and should be viewed as a real threat to any quarterback in any situation who sees him sign on the dotted line of their current club.
Is Brown a legitimate CFL starter or simply the best of the unknown potential ‘next’ crop? Only time will tell but there’s no denying his game matches the style many teams have chosen to play around the CFL these days.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Middletown High School named Kali Jones as its head football coach Thursday afternoon, pending board of education approval.
"We are tremendously excited to have Kali Jones come to Middletown to reinvigorate our football program and lead us to championships," Middletown athletic director JD Foust said in a statement.
Jones, a two-time Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference coach of the year, was the Withrow head coach for the past five seasons.
He led Withrow (12-2) to the Division II regional final this past season - the program's first regional final appearance in the 104-year history of the school.
Withrow, the No. 3 seed in Region 8, set a program for the most wins (12) in a season in school history. Withrow was twice a CMAC Red division (large school) champion under Jones, the coach of the year this past season.
"We were really able to build and develop a change in culture and put together a really special group of young athletes," Jones said. "That's my motto. I'm very proud of them. I love Withrow. It's a special time in my life and my career."
The Tigers were led by several players this season including 2026 wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., who is verbally committed to Ohio State and is ranked the nation's No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class by 247 Sports.
Henry, a Division II first-team all-state receiver, set a program record for most receiving yards in a season. 2024 quarterback Luke Dunn set the program mark for most passing touchdowns in a season in late October.
Withrow had two college signees on Wednesday including cornerback Terhyon Nicholas (University of Kentucky) and offensive lineman Blake Scriber (Morgan State). Jones said an additional 10 student-athletes from Withrow are expected to sign with college programs next spring.
Withrow named Anthony Berry as its interim head football coach, according to Withrow athletic director Regina Williams.
Berry, a Withrow graduate, has been the head assistant coach/defensive coordinator for the past three years at Withrow. Berry played high school football for former Withrow coach Doc Gamble.
"It's a bittersweet feeling for me right now but I'm happy for Coach Jones," Williams said. "He's a great coach who is going to do great things no matter whose field he's on. Withrow will forever be grateful for how Coach Jones and staff elevated and brought life back to our football program. He groomed our Withrow young men to be accountable, responsible and how to build a brotherhood! Middletown is very lucky to have Kali Jones as their head football coach!"
Jones acknowledged the returning talent that Withrow has entering next season. He said he is grateful to the administration and alumni at Withrow for all of the support he's received over the years. He said it was a very difficult decision to leave the program but he said it's for his family situation.
Jones succeeds former Middletown coach Don Simpson who stepped down in early November after leading the program for six years. Middletown (3-8 record in 2023) was the No. 15 seed in Division I, Region 4 this past season.
Middletown, a member of the Greater Miami Conference program, has nine postseason appearances.
"They have a rich tradition and history in athletics," Jones said. "I am excited to have the opportunity to build it back and beyond."
Jones compared the GMC to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) where coaches and players have to bring their 'A' game every Friday.
"I'm ready and excited," Jones said.
In addition to being the Middletown head coach, Jones will be the Linkage Coordinator in the school building, pending board approval. A Linkage Coordinator monitors students' attendance, behavior and academics and intervenes when necessary in order to keep students on track for graduation.
"Coach Jones has a unique ability to teach the game of football effectively to his players and to inspire them with his passion," Foust said. "We conducted a comprehensive search with an impressive array of candidates but in the end, Kali is exactly what our program needs right now and I cannot wait to partner with him to bring the Middie Magic back!"
Prior to Withrow, Jones was the Woodward head coach from 2016-19. He was a Dayton Christian assistant head football coach from 2015-16. He's also coached at Huber Heights Wayne where he was the assistant offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2011-14.
Jones is a 2005 Wright State University graduate who served as a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps before pursuing a career as a financial advisor and then in education and coaching.
Jones has 25 years of leadership and 16 years of coaching experience. In four seasons at Withrow, he helped 38 student-athletes earned post-secondary opportunities.
He established a reputable high school football program with a solid infrastructure that includes fundraising, student food assistance, academic monitoring and tutoring, community engagement and post-secondary planning.
DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - Two men have been arrested on charges of aggravated robbery.
Duluth Police officers responded to the 300 block of West 4th Street to a call stating there was a person with a gun. While responding to the call, officers were told the suspects fled the area towards the 100 block of Mesaba Avenue.
According to the DPD, a 32-year-old and 18-year-old were detained, a search warrant was executed, and a firearm was found.
The men were brought to the St. Louis County Jail pending charges of first-degree aggravated robbery.
There we no injuries related to the arrest.
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CANISTEO, N.Y. (WETM) – A Hornell man has been arrested following a several-day investigation with the Canisteo Village Police Department, the New York State Police and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Canisteo Village Police Department, police arrested Jason L. Loper, 46, of Hornell, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, after he allegedly fled from police on multiple occasions. Loper had multiple warrants out for his arrest, including a felony violation of probation warrant.
Police say that law enforcement agencies attempted to arrest Loper multiple times but failed when he fled the scene, which led to multiple vehicle chases to avoid police.
Canisteo Village Police were able to investigate the whereabouts of Loper, leading into a short vehicle chase where he tried to flee on foot. He was quickly captured and arrested by officers.
Loper was charged with resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration in the second degree out of Canisteo Village Court. He was then turned over to the New York State Police for processing on other charges and was later taken to the Steuben County Jail to be processed on other active warrants including a felony violation of probation charge.
NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded the release of pending central funds to the state before she left for Kolkata on Wednesday. Banerjee has written several letters to the Prime Minister on the issue earlier and has met him on her earlier visits to Delhi with the same demand.
After the meeting, Banerjee said the Prime Minister had proposed that officials from the state and the Centre can sit together and clear the issues, while speaking to the media, in the Parliament complex, accompanied by nine of her party MPs.She however added that central teams have been given all clarifications by state government on issues raised by the Centre.
The tug-of-war between the Bengal government and the Centre over release of funds to the state, has been going on for while and TMC has held a protest led by its general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee here in October. BJP has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of siphoning off funds meant for Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojna and MGNREGA.
Speaking of MGNREGA funds, Banerjee said on Wednesday that it is mandatory under the Constitution to pay the workers. “We didn't even get a penny for 100 days of work (under MGNREGA) in the budget for 2022-23.”
“Funds for Aawas Yojna have been stopped, rural development schemes have been shut, and the health mission programme has also been shut. We are also not getting funds under the Finance Commission,” Banerjee alleged.
“Our officials have given all the clarification they asked for. PM has said a joint meeting will be held by the Centre and state officials. I said we have given clarification 155 times. We can do that once again, they can decide the formula. In a federal structure, the central government has a share and the state also has a share,” she said.
“It is not right to stop the money for poor people,” Banerjee said, adding that the Centre owed nearly Rs 1.16 lakh crore to the state under various centrally sponsored schemes and pending claims for natural disasters over the past years.
The TMC delegation led by Banerjee submitted a memorandum to the PM, which said despite the legacy of a burden of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore of debt of the previous regime and even after repaying a staggering amount of Rs 5 lakh crore towards debt and interest (debt of Rs. 1.98 lakh crore and interest Rs 3.23 lakh crore), West Bengal has achieved unprecedented progress during 2011-2023 period.
Banerjee said in the memorandum that the GSDP of West Bengal during the last 12 years has increased from Rs 4.60 lakh crore in 2010-11 to Rs 15.54 lakh crore in 2022-23, an increase of 3.37 times.
“This reflects the remarkable progress made by the state in all sectors. There has also been a marked improvement in all fiscal parameters achieved by way of implementation of far-reaching reforms in financial and revenue administration,” the CM said. “Despite our excellent all-round performance in all areas, we are not getting our share of resources from the central pool that rightfully belong to the people of the state. Depriving the people of Bengal of their rightful claim on development funds has pushed millions into untold misery and poverty,” she added.
Banerjee also flagged a “disturbing and unwelcome development” where central ministries have “unilaterally decided the name, logo and colour schemes” for buildings mandatory for getting funds under centrally sponsored schemes. “It is important to note that the logo being imposed resembles more to the symbol of the ruling party at the Centre, rather than the logo of the Government of India,” she pointed out. “As chief minister of an important state and in that capacity, you had fought for the rights of the state and its people in our federal structure. States have a very important role to play in the development of this great country,” she said.
Any step taken unilaterally by the Centre that undermines the position of the state or the sentiments and self-respect of its people will only weaken this country, she said. “We cannot and should not allow people of any state to suffer for whatever reasons,” she added.
