20 Oct 2023

Carroll Carroll high school football Week 8 preview: Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown comes to Liberty

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Over the course of this season, the Ravens have been traveling to high school football games throughout the state, highlighting key matchups in several counties.

This week it’s Carroll County’s turn as the Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown program makes a stop at Liberty for the Lions’ . matchup with Westminster set for 6:30 p.m. Friday.

“It is an honor to have players who have reached the holy grail of football watching my team play on Friday,” Westminster senior lineman Jalen Jones said.

As part of the program, current Ravens players will be in attendance for a pregame visit with each team and will help with the opening coin toss. Ravens cheerleaders, mascot Poe and Baltimore’s Marching Ravens will also be in attendance, Ravens director of public relations Tom Volante said in a release.

The game will also be broadcast/streamed live on the Ravens YouTube channel.

Elsewhere in the county, Winters Mill will look to add a homecoming victory to its list of accomplishments as it hosts a Manchester Valley team looking for another win. The historic year for the Falcons continues as they moved to 7-0 last week, continuing the best season in school history.

Fresh off a homecoming victory themselves, South Carroll will be ready to go Friday as the Cavaliers look to build off their first win of the season. In their way is a Century squad ready to follow the Cavaliers and erase that zero in the win column.

Carroll County had traveled well this season, picking up wins in Fredrick County and against teams from Delaware and West Virginia on the season. Can coach David Cunningham Jr. put on a good showing as his Eagles face a hungry South Hagerstown team in a Carroll County vs, Washington County showdown?

Jones spoke with the Carroll County Times to preview the Westminster at Liberty game.

Here’s a look at his thoughts and the rest of week 8 schedule:

Westminster (6-1, 4-0) at Liberty (3-4, 2-2)

His thoughts on the season so far:

Jones: The season has gone well. Some people may not see it because of our record but we still can be so much better if and when we clean up the little things.

On the team’s growth from last season and the beginning of this season:

Jones: Relationships are a little different from last year. With the seniors it was about trying to create that family environment. We playfully joke with each other, but at the same time, we’re all trying to lift other up through the good and the bad.

What is the biggest challenge Liberty presents?

Jones: How fast they come off the ball, that is probably going to be our biggest challenges this week, especially up front. We’re switching things around in practice to make sure that we’re actually ready for it Friday.

“We will win this game if …”

Jones: We focus on the little things, don’t play tight. We want to play loose but still with the focus on what we need to do to get the job done.

South Carroll (1-6, 1-3) at Century (0-8, 0-4)

Last week: South Carroll beat Liberty, 28-27 in overtime; Century lost to Westminster, 28-3

Game time: Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Key players: South Carroll: Ian Straley, Caleb Evans, Jake Miller; Century: Ethan Long, Trey Helmick.

Outlook: Coming off a thrilling win last week, South Carroll can’t afford to overlook Century this week. One slip up and the Cavaliers could go from winning their first game, to getting beat by the Knights and giving them their first win of 2023.

South Hagerstown (4-3) at Francis Scott Key (1-6)

Last week: South Hagerstown beat Williamsport, 43-14; FSK lost to Manchester Valley, 21-14

Game time: Friday 6:30 p.m.

Key players: FSK: Keyondre Grooms, Jacob Dell, Ben Stevens.

Outlook: The Eagles have a tough task ahead of them as they look to defeat the Rebels at home. South Hagerstown has already defeated a Carroll County team (Century) in 2023 and average 33 points per game.

Manchester Valley (4-2, 3-2) at Winters Mill (7-0, 4-0)

Last week: Manchester Valley beat FSK, 21-14; Winters Mill beat Springbrook, 37-8

Game time: Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Key players: Manchester Valley: Kingston Canby, Gene Magin and Nick LoPreato; Winters Mill: Caleb Crouch, Paris Lee and Ahren Jones

Outlook: After picking up an impressive out-of-county win last week, can the Falcons keep the momentums going and send the homecoming crowd home happy? Or will the Mavericks pull off the upset and win their third straight game?

Carroll County stat leaders

Rushing yards

1. Kyrece Walker (W), 807; 2. Isaiah Ferebee (MV), 651; 3. Caleb Crouch (WM), 535; 4. Trey Helmick

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Receiving yards

1. Tristan West (L), 457; 2. Clayton Dorsey (W), 393; 3. James Herndon (MV), 342; 4. Michael Martin (L), 301; 5. Ian Straley (SC), 250; 6. Brayden Yeager (SC), 233; 7. David Akinobye (L), 219; 8. Colton Feister (FSK), 193; 9. Jake Miller (SC), 170; 10. Braeden Haven (FSK), 166.

Passing yards

Tackles

(C), 458; 5. Keyondre Groomes (FSK), 345; 6. Raquon Warfield (W), 335; 7. Kevin Poole (L), 268; 8. Paris Lee (WM), 262; 9. Kingston Canby (MV), 257; 10. Jadon Segree (W), 235. Receiving yards 1. Tristan West (L), 457; 2. Clayton Dorsey (W), 393; 3. James Herndon (MV), 342; 4. Michael Martin (L), 301; 5. Ian Straley (SC), 250; 6. Brayden Yeager (SC), 233; 7. David Akinobye (L), 219; 8. Colton Feister (FSK), 193; 9. Jake Miller (SC), 170; 10. Braeden Haven (FSK), 166. Passing yards 1. Chase Miller (L), 1,141; 2. Caleb Evans (SC), 908; 3. Kyrece Walker (W), 903; 4. Gene Magin (MV), 746; 5. Ben Stevens (FSK) 648; 6. Caleb Crouch (WM), 447; 7. Ray Poulton (C), 265. Tackles 1. Casey Heisig (W), 66; 2. Jackson Shekore (SC), 51; T3. Dominic Damico (C), 49; T3. James Graham (SC), 49; T3. Landon Hamper (SC), 49; T3. Nico Marsicano (L), 49; 7. Clayton Dorsey (W), 47; T8. Neil LoPreato (MV), 44; T8. Janero Marchany (SC), 44; 10. Ben Stevens (FSK), 43.

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19 Oct 2023

Jewish leaders slam Boston city councilor for ‘antisemitic’ remarks on Israel-Hamas war

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A Boston city councilor is being slammed for making “antisemitic” statements that perpetuate a “dangerous myth” about “excessive Jewish power and influence” in global affairs, two Jewish groups say.

The Anti-Defamation League of New England and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston both released statements Thursday criticizing the “troubling” remarks made by Tania Fernandes Anderson at this week’s City Council meeting.

“Drawing on the oldest tropes about Jewish power and influence to make a political statement is not just unacceptable, it is antisemitic,” Rabbi Dr. Jonah Steinberg, ADL New England regional director, said in a statement.

“Excessive Jewish power and influence controlling global affairs is a dangerous myth where Jews are cast as manipulative schemers who use money and influence to advance an evil agenda,” he added.

“Words matter,” Steinberg said, saying that while the ADL welcomes a conversation, the “community deserves an apology” from the councilor.

When introducing a resolution calling for de-escalation and a ceasefire in Israel and “occupied Palestine,” Fernandes Anderson made remarks insinuating that the violence against Israeli people was garnering more attention because of their “money and influence.”

“Nobody wants people to die,” Fernandes Anderson said. “The Holocaust was horrific. The African holocaust was horrific. The Australian holocaust of the Aborigines was horrific. But when we start talking, we only talk about people with money and influence.”

She added, “We never talk about Black people. We never talk about people suffering. We never talk about brown people. So if you’re Indian and you’re Palestinian, nobody gets up and supports any of this stuff.”

Her resolution was filed in response to one put forward earlier in the week by Councilor Michael Flaherty, who wanted to condemn “Hamas and their brutal terrorist acts against Israel.”

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In it, Fernandes Anderson refers to the Hamas terrorist organization as a “militant group” and characterizes the Oct. 7 attack that killed over 1,400 Israelis, among them women, children and babies, as a “massive military operation,” language that sparked outrage from some of her colleagues.

The resolution further states that Israel’s policies and actions toward the Palestinian people have been recognized by international human rights groups as “apartheid,” and Israel’s recent actions to cut electricity, fuel and water sources from Gaza constitute “war crimes.”

“At a time when our community should be attuned to the risks and challenges of antisemitism in all its forms, we, and our member organizations, representing a multiplicity of Jewish perspectives, found Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s recent comments troubling,” Jeremy Burton, JCRC executive director, said in a statement.

He added, “In civic debate, there should be no place for perpetuating long-persistent antisemitic tropes, such as Jewish individuals as wealthy and powerful, ignoring the historical underpinnings of antisemitism as a term literally created to frame hatred of the Jewish community in a precise way, and obfuscating the historic origins of the Jewish people in the region that is now called Israel.”

While his organization’s preference is dialogue, it could not leave her public comments unaddressed “at a time when the emotional and physical safety of the Jewish community in the U.S. and beyond is at risk,” Burton said.

19 Oct 2023

Top Ramaswamy adviser jumps from PAC to campaign

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A top New Hampshire-based aide to Vivek Ramaswamy’s allied super PAC is leaving the group to work directly on his campaign.

Michael Biundo, a former senior adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and manager of Rick Santorum’s 2012 presidential run, joined Ramaswamy’s campaign as a senior adviser this week. Biundo, who previously served in the same role at the American Exceptionalism PAC, is one of only a handful of GOP operatives to notch wins in both the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries.

The move — confirmed by Ramaswamy’s campaign — reflects an increasing focus by Ramaswamy on New Hampshire, where the insurgent millennial Republican and former biotech executive has spent a significant amount of time campaigning.

“Mike Biundo’s hire as National Senior Advisor is yet another indicator that Vivek’s campaign is leveling up in the early states and nationwide,” Ben Yoho, Ramaswamy’s campaign CEO, said in a statement to POLITICO. “Mike brings decades of presidential campaign experience, and is one of a handful of operatives that has helped to lead winning campaigns in both the early states of New Hampshire and Iowa.”

Scott Schweitzer, a Columbus, Ohio-based operative, remains the co-chair of the PAC and will continue in his role.

Ramaswamy rails against the “corrupting influence” of super PACs and their “puppetry” even as he ostensibly benefits from one.

Pressed on that reality in a roundtable with reporters on Wednesday in New Hampshire, Ramaswamy said “the system should be changed to make sure that $3,300 per primary and $3,300 per general election is truly the only amount that you can give in order to be able to expressly support a candidate.”

But, he said, “if there are independent entities that want to express their opinions on issues, that’s absolutely their right.”

19 Oct 2023

Gaza under Israeli siege: Bread lines, yellow water and nonstop explosions

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By ISABEL DEBRE and NAJIB JOBAIN (Associated Press)

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — There are explosions audible in the cramped, humid room where Azmi Keshawi shelters with his family in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis. The bombardments keep coming closer, he says, and they’re wreaking death and destruction.

Keshawi, his wife, two sons, two daughters and tiny grandchildren are trying to survive inside.

The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for a devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel almost two weeks ago and the Keshawi family’s sense of desperation is growing. Food is running out and Israel has so far stopped humanitarian attempts to bring it in.

The family hasn’t showered in days since Israel cut off Gaza’s water and fuel supplies. They get drinking water from the U.N. school, where workers hand out jerrycans of water from Gaza’s subterranean aquifer to desperate families. It tastes salty. The desalination stations stopped working when the fuel ran out.

Keshawi boils the water and hopes for the best.

“How the hell did the entire world just watch and let Israel turn off the water?” said Keshawi, 59, a U.S.-educated researcher at the International Crisis Group, his voice rising with anger.

That the world is watching, he says, saddens him the most.

Sometimes there are too many airstrikes to forage for food. But his family’s stocks are dwindling, so he tries to get bread when he can. On Thursday, the line for one loaf was chaotic and took five hours. Several bakeries have been bombed. Others have closed because they don’t have enough water or power. Authorities are still working out the logistics for a delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt.

Keshawi has money to buy food for his grandchildren. But there’s hardly anything to buy. The children often eat stale bread and drink powdered milk. A few Palestinians who own chicken farms and have gas stoves run take-out kitchens from their homes, asking customers to wait for hours to get a meager plate of rice and chicken. Keshawi wishes he didn’t see the water they used — liquid with a disconcerting yellow hue, from a donkey cart. He didn’t tell his wife.

“It’s not the time to be picky,” he said from his friend’s house where he sought refuge after heeding an Israeli military evacuation order for Gaza City. “We don’t know if anything will be available tomorrow.”

The toilet in the house is nearly full to the brim with urine. What water they can spare to wash the dishes they then use to flush waste down the toilet. Without enough food or water, they don’t use the bathroom much.

The nights are the hardest, he said. When airstrikes crash nearby and explosions light up the sky, the adults muster what little resolve they have to soothe the children.

“Boom!” they yell and cheer when the bombs thunder. The babies laugh.

But older kids are terrified. They see the news and know that the airstrikes have crushed thousands of homes and killed over 3,000 Palestinians in Gaza so far, including dozens of people a mere kilometer (half mile) from the house they thought would offer safety.

Keshawi said he tries to put on a brave face. But often, he said, he can’t stop weeping.

“It’s really killing me,” he said. “It really breaks my heart.”

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