26 superph $15m maritime hub opens to boost Pacific Blue EconomyNo. 21 Creighton's Steven Ashworth doubtful for Players Era Festival opener against Aztecs

The live broadcast of "Altamont: This Is Our Story" will be on air and online on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. WEIU TV is presenting "Altamont: This Is Our Story," which features the town’s community members as they share stories important to Altamont and its history. The program features 18 storytellers, all with unique tales of local businesses, events and people that helped form Altamont as it is today. WEIU interviewed Altamont residents about topics closely related to them. Featured in the program are Kurt Becker - Origin of Altamont, Karan Greuel - Ballard Nature Center, Kenny Schumacher - Social Organizations, Jason Williams - Parks & Veterans Memorial, Dale Wolff - Faith-Based Community, Randy Milleville - Mill Road Threshermans Association, Larry Taylor - City Government/Electrical System, Roger Beccue - Local Businesses, Jon Becker - Altamont Fire Protection District, Kathy Corder - Frog Pond Nursery School, Robi Flach - Altamont Lutheran Interparish School, Eric Heiden - Altamont Grade School - Altamont Community High School, Emily Miller - Lutheran Care Center, Val Behl - Schuetzenfest, Dale Laue - Effingham County Fair, Scott Beal - Dr. Charles M. Wright House, Matt Robinson - Altamont Sports, and Nik Alwerdt - Alwerdt Gardens/Sculpture Park/Beautification of Altamont. The program will be shown live on WEIU TV on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. Throughout the program, there will be three 10-minute pledge breaks, during which viewers are invited to call and speak with one of the storyteller phone operators to order their own copy of the program on DVD, Blu-ray or flash drive; they will also be tallying up orders to announce callers’ names during the event as an added sentiment of appreciation. This locally produced program featured during the Live broadcast is also a means to raise funds to help WEIU, which serves the community with a focus on producing local programs. Viewers can donate during the live show by calling the phone number at the bottom of the screen (1-877-PBS-WEIU) or through the website, weiu.net . For those who live within the WEIU viewing area, the program will stream on the WEIU-TV Public Broadcasting Station Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as on the PBS App, Local Now, Hulu+ and YouTube TV.49ers quarterback Brock Purdy did some light throwing without issue Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan said. Purdy, who missed Sunday’s game with right shoulder soreness, will rest Tuesday. “It went all good,” Shanahan said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “We didn’t push it that hard, but he did some light throwing, which was a good sign that the pain hadn’t come back, and we’ll rest it tomorrow and see how he feels as the week goes.” In a Week 11 loss to the Seahawks, Purdy appeared to injure the shoulder when his hand hit the arm of Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon as he released a pass early in the fourth quarter. The 49ers, though, don’t know specifically when Purdy injured it as he not miss time in that game with the injury. An MRI showed no structural damage, and Purdy reportedly underwent a second MRI after he continued to experience soreness in the shoulder late last week. “Most guys, we always get more than one [MRI] when you get one, and it seems all right, then you have some pain later in the week,” Shanahan said. “So, you get another one to make sure you didn’t miss anything. And so, that’s what he did, I think, after the Thursday practice.” The 49ers listed him as limited in practice last week before ruling him out Friday. The 49ers play the Bills on Sunday Night Football in Week 13.Americans stocking up for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner should see a dip in their grocery bills for the second year in a row, according to the 39th annual American Farm Bureau Federation survey of the ingredients for a classic feast. A dinner for 10 is estimated to cost $58.90 in the Midwest, down 5% from last year. However, this is still 19% higher than pre-pandemic years. While consumers are getting some relief after years of elevated retail prices, these grocery bills also reflect some hard conversations around the dinner table for farm and ranch families. “We should all be thankful that we live in a country with such an abundant food supply,” Zippy Duval, the American Farm Bureau president, said in a statement Wednesday. “We are seeing modest improvements in the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for a second year, but America’s families, including farm families, are still being hurt by high inflation.” For one week each year, volunteer shoppers from all 50 states and Puerto Rico visit their local grocery store or its website to survey the prices of items for the feast. Since 1986, the volunteers have collected price data on turkey, cubed stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, celery, carrots, pumpkin pie mix and crusts, whipping cream and whole milk. Thanksgiving meals in 2024 will cost different amounts, depending on where they are being prepared. The bill for a classic dinner is a mixed bag of savings and squeezes. Seven items dropped in price this year, including turkey, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, a vegetable tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts and whole milk. However, the remaining four items — dinner rolls, fresh cranberries, whipping cream and cubed stuffing — rose in price. Over the span of the survey, turkey has accounted for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost. This year is right on the mark, the farm bureau said a 16-pound turkey accounts for 44.2% of the cost of a 10-person dinner. Given its large share of the total dinner bill, differences in the grocery bill year-over-year closely follow the change in turkey prices. “The turkey is traditionally the main attraction on the Thanksgiving table and is typically the most expensive part of the meal,” said Bernt Nelson, an economist with the farm bureau. “The American turkey flock is the smallest it’s been since 1985 because of avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen, resulting in lower prices at the grocery store for families planning a holiday meal.” According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Turkeys Raised report, farmers raised 205 million turkeys in 2024, down 6% from last year and the lowest since 1985. The highly communicable avian influenza is responsible for the decline. Typically, fewer turkeys would mean an increase in price, but demand for turkey fell in 2024. USDA estimates per capita demand for turkey is 13.9 pounds per person, down a pound from 2023. This drop in demand has caused prices to fall, according to the farm bureau. Prices for ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans were added to the survey in 2018 to reflect more Thanksgiving favorites, with all of them showing a year-over-year reduction in price. When including the additional items, the meal cost rose to $77.34, or $7.73 per person, with more leftovers, of course. The largest increases in the Thanksgiving dinner bill this year come from processed products. Dinner rolls and cubed stuffing both increased over 8% from 2023. Nonfood inflation and labor shortages have driven up costs for partners across the food supply chain. Buying the goods for Thanksgiving dinner will be a little bit less expensive in 2024 than it was in recent years. Fresh cranberries had the next-largest price increase at 12%. This is a stabilization of prices after a significant 18% drop in prices from 2022 to 2023. Despite the year-over-year price increase, cranberries are still more affordable than historical averages. In fact, when adjusted for inflation, this is the lowest price for cranberries since 1987. The prices for Thanksgiving staples vary across the U.S. In the West, a grocery bill will be at least 14% steeper than the rest of the country: $67.05 for a party of 10. The other regions of the U.S. are lower by $8 or more. Southern dinners will cost the least at $56.81, followed closely by the Northeast at $57.36 and $58.90 in the Midwest, which includes Nebraska. Even though the price tag for this year’s Thanksgiving meal is down 5%, it’s still up nearly 20% from just five years ago. The average American also has to work fewer hours to buy the same meal than in previous years. Wages continued to grow faster following the COVID-19 pandemic, even as inflation cooled. Because average wages rose 4% from 2023 to 2024, it took 9% less work time for us to pay for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. kevin.cole@owh.com , 402-444-1272 We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country's highest court confirmed ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections killed at least 21 people, including two police officers, authorities said Tuesday. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court's announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. “From the preliminary survey, in the last 24 hours, 236 acts of violence were recorded throughout the national territory that resulted in 21 deaths, of which two members of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique also died," Ronda said. He said 13 civilians and 12 police were injured. Ronda said 25 vehicles were set on fire, including two police vehicles. He added that 11 police subunits and a penitentiary were attacked and vandalized and 86 inmates were freed. Tensions were high in the country ahead of the The Constitutional Council ruling on Monday and violent protests started immediately after the announcement was made. Footage circulating on various social media platforms showed protesters burning and looting shops in the capital Maputo and the city of Beira, where some city officials were reported to have fled the city. Mondlane has called for a “shutdown” starting Friday but violence in the country has already escalated and the situation remained tense in the capital on Tuesday night following a day of violence and looting by protesters. The country of 34 million people has been on edge since the Oct. 9 general elections . Mondlane’s supporters, mostly hundreds of thousands of young people, have since taken to the streets, and have been met by gunfire from security forces. This brings to more than 150 the number of people who have died from post-election violence since the initial results were announced by the country's electoral body.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:48 p.m. EST

NoneNEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell in morning trading Friday as Wall Street closes out a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 fell 1.4%, with more than 80% of stocks in the benchmark index losing ground. Still, the index is managing to hold onto a modest gain for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 402 points, or 0.9%, to 42,945 as of 10:41 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite fell 2%. Both the Dow and the Nasdaq are also holding on to weekly gains. Technology stocks were the biggest drag on the market Friday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 3.2%. Its enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes. Other Big Tech stocks losing ground included Microsoft, with a 2.2% decline. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 2.2% and Best Buy slipped 1.9%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy was the only sector within the S&P 500 rising. It gained 0.5% as crude oil prices rose 0.8%. Investors don't have much in the way of corporate or economic updates to review as the market moves closer to another standout annual finish. The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained at 4.59% from late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury slipped to 4.32% from 4.33% late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:48 p.m. ESTISoftStone has more than doubled its PC shipment in Q3 2024 I had never heard of the company till its name appeared in Canalys's latest report ISoftStone provides Digital Innovation Service and is a pure B2B player China’s PC market is set for 6% growth in 2025, according to recent analysis from Canalys, with strong public sector spending a key factor. In a new report , the analyst firm said it expects the country's PC market recovery to be “sustained” over the next 12 months, with desktops and notebooks in particular growing by 9% and 4% respectively. But nestled amongst the details of Canalys’ recent research, insights on a little-known regional vendor, ISoftStone, stood out. Who is ISoftStone? Admittedly, prior to the publication of Canalys’ report I’d never heard of ISoftStone, but the PC vendor secured second place in the shipment rankings in Q3 2024, which speaks volumes given the fierce competition it faces from major industry players. ISoftStone provides technology products and services spanning both the enterprise and consumer domains. Canalys’ report noted the company recorded strong performance in both the public sector and education market during Q3 2024, and its numbers in gaming PCs also raised eyebrows. Over the last two fiscal years, the company has experienced rapid growth, Canalys found. In Q3 2023, for example, the firm boasted just a 4% share of the regional PC market, shipping around half a million desktop and notebook units. Fast forward to Q3 2024, and the numbers are impressive, with ISoftStone holding a 10% market share and shipping more than 1.1 million units - that’s a 123% growth rate, according to Canalys. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! All told, this meteoric rise places it on par with Huawei in terms of market share and gave the company a lead on both HP and ASUS . It’s still some way behind Lenovo, but the growth rates recorded this year suggest the firm shows no signs of slowing down. ISoftStone: What’s behind the meteoric rise? A key factor in this impressive growth is the state of flux witnessed across the regional PC market, according to Canalys. Since 2023, the space has experienced “significant shifts” - and the “growing presence” of domestic vendors has been a key talking point. The government’s promotion of “Xinchuang”, or indigenous innovation, has “created a favorable environment for domestic vendors to thrive,” Canalys said. Strong growth in the gaming PC segments could also be a leading factor here, with this particular area recording 24% growth in Q3 2024. “Higher-value PCs with AI or gaming capabilities have been resilient despite broader market downturns, driven by heightened expectations for strong user experiences,” said Emma Xu, Analyst at Canalys. What else has ISoftStone been up to? On the international front, ISoftStone has been active of late, with reports in November 2024 highlighting the firm’s involvement in the Kingdee Data Center in Singapore. China's Kingdee International Software Group unveiled the launch of a new data center and office space in Singapore, which Datacenter Dynamics reported will act as a “bridgehead and international business center”. While Kingdee will provide cloud computing services as part of its expansion, iSoftStone will be working closely with the firm to provide global customers with digital solutions and services. These are the best business laptops around today And the best Lenovo ThinkPads on offer right now PC sales are stalling as worries over costs and upgrade hassle hit hard

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Missed kicks. Poor tackling. Costly penalties. Week 12 was filled with sloppy play around the NFL, leading to some upsets and surprising outcomes. Jayden Daniels nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback down 10 in the final two minutes against Dallas only to fall short because Austin Seibert's extra point sailed wide left. After a field goal and successful onside kick, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Commanders within one point with 21 seconds remaining. But Seibert's point-after attempt failed and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown to seal a 34-26 victory. Special teams were atrocious for both teams. Seibert also missed his first extra point and Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys missed a field goal, had another blocked and had a punt blocked. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals, just a number of things going to that spot," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Washington (7-5) was a 10 1/2-point favorite over the undermanned Cowboys (4-7) but ended up losing a third straight game. The Houston Texans were 8-point favorites against the lowly Tennessee Titans and let the game come down to Ka'imi Fairbairn missing a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it with just under two minutes left. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and the Texans (7-5) committed 11 penalties, including an illegal shift that negated a go-ahead 33-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the drive that ended with Fairbairn's miss in the 32-27 loss. The Titans (3-8) averaged just 17 points per game before putting 32 on the scoreboard against Houston's defense that entered No. 4 in the league. "We didn't do anything well enough to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives. Too many negative plays. Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board." The San Francisco 49ers didn't have quarterback Brock Purdy, star edge rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams against Green Bay. That was no excuse for their undisciplined performance. The Niners committed nine penalties and their tackling was shoddy in a 38-10 loss to the Packers. The defending NFC champions are 5-6 with a trip to Buffalo (9-2) coming up. They're still only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. "I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys were missing. We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But, when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. When you have those penalties and we didn't stop the run like we did and we had those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed." Coming off their first loss of the season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes' heroics on the final drive to beat Carolina 30-27. Mahomes ran 33 yards to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas City had 10 penalties, including a pass interference that gave the Panthers (3-8) another chance to make the 2-point conversion that tied the game with 1:46 remaining. On defense, the Chiefs (10-1) suddenly shaky unit gave up 334 total yards against Bryce Young and an offense that entered last in the NFL. "We've got to do better. We're doing good in the red zone but that's only a third of the field," Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. "We will go back and look at the film to see what we're doing week to week, and see the tendencies that we're giving up, and just move forward from there. At the end of the day, we're all vets in the room for the most part. ... got to go back to the drawing board and see what we're doing and correct it from there." The Vikings allowed the Bears to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left and Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal. But Minnesota won in overtime, 30-27. The Chiefs and Vikings overcame their mistakes in narrow victories. The Commanders, Texans and 49ers couldn't. They have to be better down the stretch to make a playoff run. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Soprano Angel Blue sings her first Metropolitan Opera 'Aida' in a new production Angel Blue, one of the most admired singers of her generation, is headlining the Metropolitan Opera’s first new production of Verdi’s “Aida” in 36 years. The 40-year-old takes on the title role of the enslaved Ethiopian princess torn between love for an Egyptian warrior and loyalty to her country. It’s a part that comes weighted with history, especially for a Black soprano at the Met, where Leontyne Price embodied the role from her first performance in 1961 until her retirement in 1985. Blue tells The Associated Press she’s long looked up to Price, and directors who have worked with her say the singer is ready for the challenge. Blue’s Met debut in ‘Aida’ will happen New Year’s Eve. Centuries-old angels uncovered at Boston church made famous by Paul Revere BOSTON (AP) — Conservators have uncovered eight angels in a historic Boston church that counted Paul Revere as a bell ringer and played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. The angels were painted in the early 18th century but painted over in 1912 as part of a renovation of the Old North Church. Inspired by research showing the existence of at least 20 angels, conservators for the past four months have been removing the white paint that covered the eight angels located on the balcony's arches in the church sanctuary. The public is now able to view them. Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger dies in avalanche, aged 26 Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger has died following an avalanche at a mountain resort. The country's skiing federation says the incident took place at the Arosa resort in Switzerland. The 26-year-old Hediger competed at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in the women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team version of the same event. Hediger achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes in the 2023-24 season. Her best result was a second place in St. Moritz in January. NFL on Netflix: Christmas Day games are a 1st for streaming giant Netflix will have one of its biggest days since the site launched in 1998 when it carries two NFL games for the first time on Christmas. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” kicks off with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second game. The streaming giant agreed to a three-year contract in May to carry Christmas Day games. Magic and lights draw crowds to an alpine village in Washington state for Christmas LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — Freshly baked pretzels, shining tree lights and sleds in the snow lend a ruddy warmth to an unlikely collection of Bavarian-themed chalets in the mountains of Washington state. Decades ago, the town of Leavenworth was a near ghost town, one of the poorest parts of the Pacific Northwest. The mines and the sawmill had closed, and even the railroad left. That’s when desperate business owners took a serious gamble -- reinventing the community in the vision of an alpine village. More than half a century later, the result brings tourists from near and far -- especially during the holidays, when Leavenworth takes on the flavor of a German Christmas market. Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington after developing a fever. The 78-year-old was admitted in the “afternoon for testing and observation,” Angel Urena, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in a statement. “He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving,” Urena said. Packers clinch playoff berth with 1st shutout in NFL this season, 34-0 over Saints GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Josh Jacobs gained 107 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown for a sixth straight game as the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth while producing the first shutout of the NFL season, 34-0 over the hapless New Orleans Saints. Green Bay improved to 11-4 and earned its fifth postseason appearance in six years. New Orleans played without injured quarterback Derek Carr and running back Alvin Kamara. Rookie Spencer Rattler started and went 15 of 30 for 153 yards with an interception and a fumble. The Packers have won nine of their last 11 games. Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico prosecutors won’t pursue an appeal of a court’s decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin. The actor had been charged in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021. Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey withdrew on Monday the appeal of a July decision at trial to dismiss the charge. The decision to drop the appeal solidifies the decision by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer halfway through trial to dismiss the case on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense. An all-Filipino crew is set to make history in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race SYDNEY (AP) — There have been plenty of “firsts” in the history of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race which was first held in 1945. An all-Filipino crew of 15 sailors will make it another when the annual ocean classic begins in Sydney Harbor on Thursday. With veteran sailor Ernesto Echauz at the helm, Centennial 7 will embark on the 628-nautical mile race. The boat itself is no stranger to the race. Previously, the TP52 yacht was known as Celestial and claimed the Sydney to Hobart overall handicap victory in 2022 under Sam Haynes after being runner-up the year before.First Horizon Names New Head of Investor RelationsDonald Trump’s election interference and classified documents cases dismissed

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