PARTNER Real Estate Launches New Brand, Highlights Andrew Warren As A Visionary In The Real Estate IndustryArticle content There’s another cool jewelry brand in Canada to know. offers everything from fine jewelry earrings to fully custom engagement rings. Founded by sisters Trang Wong and Chau Lui, who are the duo behind the jewelry store , the brand is being built with the idea that “every moment is worth celebrating.” No matter how big or small. We caught up with co-founder Lui to learn more: Celi is a fine jewelry brand with a global online presence, and a brick-and-mortar location in the heart of Toronto. Celi was born out of the vision to create a refined, contemporary and celebratory fine jewelry brand, with the belief that every moment is worth celebrating. Our Toronto showroom offers an exclusive shopping experience that encourages a full, celebratory experience. We aim to be a vibrant hub that serves as an opportunity for connection, creativity and community. We do this by channelling the local community to display local artists’ work, and feature various complimentary brands to allow consumers a unique shopping experience. Perhaps our most unique is that in every Celi location we will have a dedicated area to allow for social gatherings and events, making Celi the ultimate destination for celebration. In Toronto specifically, we are unveiling this in the spring. Also, we have a unique custom jewelry alcove for anyone wanting to create anything custom, which features hundreds of one-of-a-kind engagement rings in ethically mined diamonds, lab-created diamonds and gemstones — all of which can be tried on in-store to compare stones and settings, making finding the perfect ring, or designing one, extremely accessible. Anyone who is interested in fine jewelry. Our brand was inspired to celebrate every moment of one’s journey in life through fine jewelry. Whether it be an anniversary, birthday, a working mom celebrating a promotion at work, a baby shower or just because — we want to be here for all of it. We carry all different styles of jewelry including men’s and various gemstones which cater a broad variety of diverse communities and individuals from all over the world, welcoming anyone from any background. We are launching Celi with a product assortment focused on solid gold essentials for everyday. These pieces are classic, timeless and future heirlooms. Our hero designs in everyday jewelry are the stacking rings, which offer a mirage of nostalgic inspired pieces, to bold and delicate offerings as well as solid gold statement rings which can be intertwined and worn by themselves or together, in unique ways. Everyday jewelry starts at $90 to over $2,000. Our custom component can range with gemstones starting at $1,000 and has no price ceiling on diamonds. We can source and create whatever the consumer wants.LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. "I'm very honored," Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. "Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I'll get the award again." In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Angels. "Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods," he said. "I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States." The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman. Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine. The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday. Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball's 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023. Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases. In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in a performance for the ages. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases. "It wouldn't shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now," Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani's second season in Anaheim, said recently. "This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there's not a close second." Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021. "I kind of wanted to get over that bar," he said. "I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record." Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt. He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November. "I don't have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better," he told the AP. "There's no pain. There's obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it's getting better." Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he's focused on the near-term. "It's the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy," he said. Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason. "I'm going to continue to ramp up slowly," he said. The Dodgers' rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out. "We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation," he said. "But it's all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We'll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I've got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there." The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is even more closely watched. "My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start," he said. "To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself." Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there's great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats. "I just go out there and try to stay within myself," he said. "I can only control what I can control and that's where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they're going to make the plays for you. I don't really try to overthink it." Ohtani generated big bucks for the Dodgers off the field, too. Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball's third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey. Ohtani's presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors. Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: "Nope," which drew laughter. Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani's behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed. "I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he's a much better person. He's very kind, considerate, he cares," Roberts told the AP. "I'm just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way." Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That's why his February announcement via Instagram that he had wed Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world. The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani's money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker. His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn't seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it. By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. The public got a glimpse of Ohtani's softer side in August, when his dog Decoy delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate. As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month's National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors. "The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed," Ohtani said. "I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I'm sure Decoy himself would be happy about that." Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title. "It's almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent," Roberts said. "I'm just excited to see what '25 has for Shohei Ohtani." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelationsIn 2024, the Scene ’s readers gravitated toward political reporting, real estate news and reports about the untimely deaths of local media figures. Below, you’ll find a roundup of the past year’s most-read Nashville Scene articles, along with a bit of context. 36th Annual You Are So Nashville If ... See the winners, honorable mentions and other gems in our annual YASNI contest In the interest of transparency: We disqualified a couple of Scene links from this list that are more logistical than editorial — otherwise, the Best of Nashville voting page and the “You Are So Nashville If ...” submission link would’ve landed near the top of the list. We also disqualified stories published prior to 2024 that saw a spike in traffic this year. ( A 2019 article about Dave Ramsey and a 2009 story about Toby Keith , for instance, saw enormous upticks in traffic this year. Thank you, Google.) Landing just outside of our top 10 were a column by Betsy Phillips about U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett’s comments on DEI , the removal of Confederate flags from a piece of private property near I-65 , Betsy’s thoughts on U.S. Rep. Mark Green , and more of Michael Ray Taylor’s reporting on River Gorge Ranch . Green’s Daughter: He’s Not the ‘Christian, Conservative Family Man’ He Claims to Be Family blames ‘toxic environment’ in D.C. for affair, but infidelity might not be enough for him to lose reelection bid In September, the Nashville Banner ’s Sarah Grace Taylor reported on text messages sent by Camilla Green, the wife of Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Green, to a group of Congress members. Green accused her husband of being corrupted by D.C. and having an affair with a woman significantly younger than him. The Banner spoke with the Greens’ daughter Catherine, who said, “We’ve all had to basically grieve the loss of the person that we thought was our father.” As part of our partnership with the Banner , the Scene also ran the story. Despite the scandal, Rep. Green went on to defeat Democrat Megan Barry and retain his seat representing Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Morgan Wallen, Bad Behavior and Nashville's Relationship With Its Guests Last week, the Metro Council rejected signage for Wallen's bar, citing the country superstar's reckless behavior In April, country star Morgan Wallen ( already beset by scandal ) was arrested for throwing a chair from the roof of Eric Church’s honky-tonk on Lower Broad. The next month, the Metro Council rejected signage for Wallen’s bar as a means of sending a message. Longtime columnist Betsy Phillips opined on the greater implications of the situation, writing that “we have become a tourist destination for racists because we’re a tourist destination for assholes.” Earlier this month, the council ultimately voted to give Wallen’s bar its signage . Scene Reporter Arrested at Vanderbilt University Scene staff writer Eli Motycka was reporting on student protests regarding campus speech and Israel's military invasion of Gaza On March 26, Scene reporter Eli Motycka was arrested by Vanderbilt University police while reporting on student protests regarding campus speech and Israel's military invasion of Gaza. He was released from custody a few hours later and ultimately not charged with a crime, with Judicial Magistrate Timothy Lee not finding probable cause to hear charges against Motycka. Vanderbilt later released a review of the incident , led by attorney Aubrey Harwell, noting that the arrest was made “contrary to [a] directive about clearing any arrests through ... the chain of command.” Vanderbilt has still not issued an apology for its arrest of our reporter. Bill Freeman Dies at 73 Real estate company founder, Scene owner and community benefactor died at his home in Forest Hills In November, Bill Freeman — the co-founder of Nashville-based real estate company Freeman Webb, a Democratic Party powerbroker, a former mayoral candidate and the owner of Nashville Scene parent company FW Publishing — died at his Forest Hills home. He was 73. An outpouring of support and fond memories followed the news of Bill’s death, as we was a supporter of national, state and local progressive political and community causes. RiverGate Mall Listed for Sale North Davidson retail property opened in 1971, offers Target, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney In March, sprawling retail complex RiverGate Mall was offered for sale for an undisclosed asking price. The news lit up Facebook, and seemed particularly popular among longtime Nashvillians who either worked at or frequented the mall in its ’90s heyday. (Editor’s note: I worked at a Rivergate Mall kiosk the summer before college, and understand the ambivalent nostalgia.) As far as we know, the mall is not yet under contract. Thunder on the Mountain: Do Luxury Homesites Sit Atop Environmental Catastrophe? An East Tennessee development is moving forward on what locals call a ‘Swiss cheese’ of abandoned coal mines In March, Scene contributor Michael Ray Taylor kicked off a series reporting on River Gorge Ranch, a luxury homesite situated on East Tennessee’s Aetna Mountain. Owned by developer John “Thunder” Thornton, River Gorge Ranch garnered a great deal of concern and controversy due to being situated on top of what locals called a “Swiss cheese” of abandoned coal mines. Taylor continued reporting on the development for the Scene over the course of the year, from regulatory concerns to Thornton’s attempts at a libel suit . Scoop Nashville Founder Jason Steen Dies at 44 The controversial figure’s sites celebrated sensational crime news In October, Scoop Nashville proprietor Jason Steen died at age 44. Steen, who received a heart transplant in 2017, died of heart failure. As the Nashville Banner ’s Steve Cavendish wrote at the time: “Through Scoop Nashville, Steen practiced a brand of journalism that was scorned by many, relying on public records, social media and internet rumor to produce stories that were often sensational and exploitative. A current sample of recent items on the site includes overdoses, drunk and disorderly behavior on Lower Broadway, domestic disturbances, theft and assault.” Scoopnashville.com is currently nonfunctional. Allegations Pile Up Against Top VUMC Executive Former surgeon and assistant allege $500 bribe, sexism, retaliation and kickbacks in separate lawsuits In April, Eli Motycka reported on “additional allegations of departmental misconduct and employee mistreatment under Dr. Rick Wright, an orthopedic surgeon and top executive at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.” The article followed related reporting from the Scene ’s Kelsey Beyeler that landed on our list of most-read stories in 2023 . FBI Conducting New Investigation Into Vanderbilt University Medical Center Questioning has focused on VUMC orthopedics department, according to those interviewed by federal agents In September, the Scene ’s Eli Motycka reported that the FBI had conducted multiple interviews at Vanderbilt University Medical Center over the preceding 18 months. Multiple anonymous sources told Motycka at the time that additional FBI interviews took place among their colleagues, centering on VUMC’s orthopedics department. The Scene ’s annual Best of Nashville issue is a huge undertaking, featuring both our annual Readers’ Poll and our Writers’ Choices. BON rounds up our staff’s, our freelance contributors’ and our readers’ favorite local food, art, music, businesses, media, athletes and beyond. We begin work on the issue at the beginning of the summer, and publish it in October. I’m happy to say it was our most-read issue of the year.
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Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's deathVictor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. And this wasn’t on a whim: He knows how to play and even brought his own chess set. READ MORE: NBA: Knicks withstand Wembanyama’s monster Christmas debut beat Spurs Indian teen prodigy becomes youngest world chess champ Cebuano chess master Mario Mangubat wins world senior title in Portugal Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. People began showing up almost immediately. Washington Square Park is a known spot for chess in New York — Bobby Fischer among others have famously played there, and it’s been used for multiple movie scenes featuring the game. Wembanyama was there for an hour in the rain, from about 10-11 a.m. He played four games, winning two and losing two — he told Bleacher Report afterward that both of the losses were to professional chess players — before departing to catch the Spurs’ flight. Wembanyama had been trying to get somewhere to play chess for the bulk of the team’s time in New York — the Spurs played the Knicks on Christmas and won at Brooklyn on Friday night. The schedule never aligned, until Saturday morning. And even with bad weather, he bundled up to make it happen. He posed for photos with a couple of dozen people who showed up, braving a morning of cold rain to play chess with one of the NBA’s biggest stars. “We need an NBA players only Chess tournament, proceeds go to the charity of choice of the winner,” he wrote on social media after his chess trip was over. Wembanyama is averaging 25.2 points and 10.1 rebounds this season, his second in the NBA after winning rookie of the year last season. The Spurs play at Minnesota on Sunday.