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Major hockey tournaments, holiday shoppers bring big business to OttawaThe Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) officers should be the stewards of the State’s wealth and promoters of its opportunities, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayn has said. He was speaking after inaugurating the KAS Day celebration and the first-anniversary meeting of the Kerala Administrative Service Officers Association here on Sunday. The KAS officers were appointed in various departments to bring about progressive changes. The KAS is not a means to preside over the continuation of the old projects and schemes. On the contrary, the KAS officers are meant to break new ground for changes, he said. As the first batch of the KAS, the government has stood by the difficulties faced by the officials. The government has intervened to a large extent in the service problems faced by the officials, said the Chief Minister. He added that the government will immediately take measures to address the rest of the issues faced by them. The process regarding the amendment of the special rule will be completed expeditiously. Along with this, the government will also examine the possibility of providing periodic training to the KAS officers on the model of the All India Services. The KAS officials should try to turn insignificant departments into significant ones, said Mr. Vijayan while praising the interventions made by the officials in the meetings of the G20 summit and events like Keraleeyam and Navakerala Sadas. Both the State government and the public have high expectations of the KAS officials. They should nurture a positive attitude towards matters related to the people. The Chief Minister also said that maximum care should be taken to reduce the delay in taking decisions on files by using advanced technologies. The process of recruiting the next batch of KAS officers is in the final stage. As the first KAS batch, the officers have to set an example for the coming batches, he said. Governance should be done giving due respect to democracy. “We need a bureaucratic society guided by progressive secular values. A new work culture with an accountable approach is essential for working constructively. The government has introduced some new perspectives in the field of governance. The officers should have the qualities like adaptability, empathetic behaviour, awareness of civil rights, and confidence to work constructively,” he added. Published - December 22, 2024 07:42 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
Firefighters and passengers hurt after train hits fire truck on crossing
Judge denies Musk $56 billion Tesla compensation packageThe mother of an Australian teenage model who was on an extended break in Bali has spoken of the heartbreak of losing her son “too soon” while he holidayed in Bali. Aston Looker, 18, a former student at the prestigious Sydney school St Josephs College in Hunters Hill, was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a residential complex on the popular Indonesian island. Aston Looker died while in Bali. Picture: Instagram Mr Looker was found unresponsive in a pool. Picture: Instagram News.com.au understands that Mr Looker, whose cause of death has not been released, was found floating in the pool of the residential complex in the Balinese village of Mengwi by a resident of the property. The unnamed resident who found Mr Looker on August 22 allegedly called security to assist with the unresponsive teenager however he was unable to be revived. Taking to social media, Mr Looker’s distraught mother, Sydney designer Amanda Lennon, said she misses her son “every day, every hour, every minute and every second,” and that he is in the “arms of angels now”. “My supermodel son is in heaven we love you forever,” Ms Lennon wrote to her 10k followers on Instagram. “We love your cheeky personality and amazing looks but most of all you humour. “Your mum will never ever forget you my favourite person in the universe. Aston you are gone too soon and mourning your death that was too soon.” Do you know more or have a story? Email tips@news.com.au Ms Lennon pictured the last dinner she had with her son in a heartfelt Instagram post. Picture: Instagram Aston Looker at his school graduation with his mum, Amanda Cameron-Lennon. Picture: Instagram In a statement sent to news.com.au, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Mr Looker’s death which occurred in August. “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Bali,” the statement read. “We offer our deepest condolences to the family.” Amanda Cameron-Lennon. Picture: Instagram Ms Cameron-Lennon shared the heartbreak of her son’s death while in Bali on social media. Picture: Instagram Family friend Victoria Montano posted about the death of Mr Looker, saying the 18-year-old was a “wasted life” and “one taken too soon”. “Asty was a complete juxtaposition - visually, a perfect face a jaw line that looked as if it was chiselled from marble, broad shoulders courtesy of countless hours of surfing,” Ms Montano posted on her Instagram account. “It was his vulnerability that drew you in. His sensitivity. His creative mind which no doubt worked away all day at a million miles an hour. “He wore his heart on his sleeve. On the occasions that we had time for a deeper conversation I always noted that he was able to express himself unlike any other male I knew. Asty was textured - he had depth. “This juxtaposition of masculinity and vulnerability was capped off by his mother Amanda’s favourite thing about him. A finely tuned perfectly timed sense of humour. The ability to be witty and humble all at once. Not many could make you laugh like this young man.” News.com.au has contacted Ms Lennon for comment. More Coverage Tribe members dead after eating sea turtle Staff writers Terrifying video of Boxing Day tsunami Shireen Khalil Originally published as Sydney teenager Aston Looker found dead in pool in Bali World Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories TV ‘Motherf***er!’: Comedian eviscerates Biden US President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, has gone down quite terribly even on his own side of politics. Read more News Cruel way Hunter Biden ended relationship Hunter Biden ended his drug-fuelled relationship with Zoë Kestan in a four-sentence email, the former stripper has revealed. Read moreFACT FOCUS: Vermont ruling does not say schools can vaccinate children without parental consent
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Infinix has partnered with UNESCO to provide practical training in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to over 30 students from the University of Ibadan (UI). The workshop which took place on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at the Infinix ICT Resource Centre at the University of Ibadan. aims to inspire young Nigerian innovators through new CogLabs modules. “We are thrilled to celebrate our partnership with this university and support the growth of the ICT Centre alongside UNESCO and our technical partners. Through this workshop, we introduce new CogLabs modules in AI, robotics, and programming to empower Nigeria’s youth as the innovators of tomorrow,” said Oluwayemisi Ode. Public Relations Manager for Infinix Nigeria. Dr. Eugene Masinde, a trainer for UNESCO CogLabs, emphasized the workshop’s goal of making STEM education accessible. Joan Nadal, founder of E3BOT and Master Trainer for UNESCO CogLabs Workshops, added, “We aim to bring STEM education and robotics to everyone. Thank you, Infinix, for making this possible.” Participants received training in courses such as AI with Teachable Machines, coding with Scratch, and smartphone sensor testing. Representing the University of Ibadan, Dr. Demola Lewis, described the event “a dream come true” and praised Infinix for their commitment to AI training. “Anyone not aligned with AI will become irrelevant in the next decade,” he stated. Community Manager Olumide revealed that the workshop aimed to train 30 participants, with 20 selected as peer trainers. These trainers were provided with Infinix smartphones, branded items, cash stipends, and resources to help continue training others. Computer science student Ruth Tijani highlighted how smartphones would enhance participants’ learning and productivity. “It’s one thing to know, and another to have the tools to apply it,” she noted. The top 20 participants were awarded certificates, Infinix smartphones, and branded gifts, enabling them to train others in their communities. This event reinforces Infinix Nigeria’s commitment to advancing STEM education and AI in Nigeria.
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Firefighters and passengers hurt after train hits fire truck on crossing
Till that happens, for the last column of the year, here are a few wild, random remarks and observations, just to keep our flagging spirits up. 2024 was a year of murder and mayhem. Assassinations and attacks. Danger and defeat. Struggles and strife. Excess and absurdity. Opulence and irreverence. Upheavals and upsets. Wars and no peace. But the world continues to spin on. So does Sunita Williams. Tu Mera Hero Contest 2024, in India, was won hands down by an unlikely candidate (ask Amit Shah), who emerged as a clear topper for the vast majority of citizens -- Babasaheb Ambedkar. And we mustn’t forget another superhero who put India on the international sports’ map by moving a few white pieces around on a board: 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju, the third youngest Grandmaster in the history of chess. In the controversies stakes, Babasaheb and the Constitution of India generated enough heat to give sleepless nights to millions. While showbiz folks like Diljit Dosanjh, Allu Arun and Kangana Ranaut kept the entertainment press working overtime by getting in and out of trouble with their provocative statements. Such a pity our favourite Flamboyance Pharoah Ranveer Singh, opted for a Daddy Cool break after the birth of his daughter Dua (no, not that Lipa). We miss his antics! The Americanisation of Middle India reached saturation point. Look around you. What do you see and hear? Yankee Doodle Dandy? Urban schoolkids behave like from Cartoon Network, down to the weird accents. Older children, the pre-teens and teens, have zero connect to their immediate environment -- they don’t think they are Indian. They don’t want to be Indian. Their fantasy lives are mixed up with a distorted “global” reality, as they binge on bizarre content across OTT platforms and play nasty video games. When we start reviewing the year just gone by, our selective memory kicks in. Every list in the universe is subjective and partial. Prejudiced and lop-sided. No matter what is claimed by those compiling it. Surveys and their interpretations are open to many challenges, which is what makes lists so much fun. If I say, for example, that the meteoric rise of Tripti Dimri to the top of the heap of “most searched Bollywood celebrities of 2024”, did not surprise me, there will be thousands asking: “But who is she?” Fair... Ditto for “Aaj ki Raat” the hottest item song of 2024, picturised on the luscious and luminous Tamannah Bhatia. It is this year’s unsurprising (to me) winner, as is “Stree-2”, a nonsensical horror movie about a feminist ghost (I swear I’m not making this up). Tamannah has fans swaying sexily from here to the North Pole. Can anybody explain its hold? It has become the number one song for DJs spinning away at New Year parties. 2024 has been a Year of Loss, more than anything else. So many legendary, iconic personalities have passed away, leaving those who knew and respected their work, totally bereft. My own, very personal sense of losing beloved people, began with fashion designer nonpareil Rohit (“Gudda”) Bal, who died under tragic circumstances, aged 63. In today’s times, with increased longevity, one can safely state, he died young and had a lot more to live for and give the world. We may not have been close friends, But Bal had the special ability to make people feel “seen”, appreciated and cherished. Our interactions, over the years, remain vivid and precious in my memory bank. Bal’s immense contribution to the world of fashion, will (hopefully), be meticulously documented in the years to come -- he deserves nothing less. Bal’s legacy extends well beyond fashion and couture. Rohit worshipped beauty, surrounded himself with beauty, and shared his commitment to beauty with uncommon generosity with all those lucky enough to have been in his orbit. Next to leave us was tabla wizard Zakir Hussain, who was gone just like that -- poof! The insistent beat of those magic fingers stopped abruptly, and we, his adoring admirers, lost our own rhythm briefly, recalling the many concerts he had drawn us to, the countless encounters here in India and across the world. Zakir was 73. His father and guru, the great Alla Rakha, had lived till 80. Hearing the duo energetically engaged in a was an unforgettable experience, a few music lovers from my generation were fortunate to have enjoyed. Zakir’s outgoing, entirely unaffected and consistently charming personality, made him one of the most approachable superstars of today, always ready to oblige fans with a selfie, autograph and hug. Shyam Benegal, at 90, was remarkable and unique. His movies transcended labels and are impossible to categorise or box into convenient “genres”. Simply because Shyam Benegal was a genre unto himself! He made films with an abiding passion for the subject, uncaring how they would fare at the box office. At the time of his death, he was raring to go, with three or four subjects he was toying with as future projects. Asked by a cocky, immature interviewer whether he had thought about his “after life”, he was puzzled and amused. The podcaster, not satisfied with Shyam’s thoughtful answer, kept badgering. Then came this cringe-making clincher: “Are you a bad Hindu?” Shyam laughed: “There’s nothing like a ‘bad Hindu’. You are a Hindu. Hinduism accepts everything -- good and bad.” He celebrated his 90th birthday joyfully on December 14, with friends and family cheering him on at a poolside party. On December 23, Shyam was no more. Then came the final blow: India’s beloved “Turbanator” and liberator, Dr Manmohan Singh, our former Prime Minister, crossed over, aged 92. The Bharat Ratna which he richly deserved was denied to him during his illustrious lifetime. A posthumous recognition is no recognition at all! But do award it, for God’s sake! Everyone will have their list to review as 2024 ends a few days from now. If the pleasant memories exceed the sad ones, consider yourself blessed. The political chaos around us cannot be ignored. Remaining upbeat and optimistic is obligatory, as we head into 2025, unsure of how things will unravel. More people will go to the great beyond. Icons will disgrace themselves. Tyrants will strive aggressively to continue their reign of terror. Millions will die. Millions will laugh. The French say it best: “ ” This is life! Brace yourselves. “Winter is coming”. You are warned. Come on, 2025 ... surprise and delight us! No more Annus Horribilis, okay??? Give us Annus Mirabilis, !!!A high-speed passenger train collided with a fire engine at a crossing on Saturday in Florida, injuring three firefighters and at least a dozen train passengers, authorities said. The crash happened at 10.45am in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach fire rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported. The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. The front of the Brightline train was severely damaged in the accident (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Mr Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 – giving the railroad the worst death rate in the United States. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths.
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DETROIT — Fifty years later, a man who grew up in suburban Detroit tried to return a very overdue baseball book to his boyhood library. The answer: You can keep it — and no fine. Chuck Hildebrandt, 63, of Chicago said he visited the public library in Warren while in town for Thanksgiving, carrying a book titled "Baseball's Zaniest Stars." He borrowed it in 1974 as a 13-year-old "baseball nut" but never returned it. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago holds the book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars," which was due Dec. 4, 1974, at the Warren, Mich., library, on Dec. 10. "When you're moving with a bunch of books, you're not examining every book. You throw them in a box and go," said Hildebrandt, who lived in many cities. "But five or six years ago, I was going through the bookshelf and there was a Dewey decimal library number on the book. 'What is this?'" Inside the book was a slip of paper indicating it was due back at the Warren library on Dec. 4, 1974. Hildebrandt told The Associated Press he decided to keep the book until 2024 — the 50th anniversary — and then try to return it. He figured the library might want to publicize the long overdue exchange. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago shows the library slip in the overdue book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" on Dec. 10. He said he recently met library director Oksana Urban, who listened to his pitch. Hildebrandt said he hasn't heard anything since then, though Urban told the Detroit Free Press that all is forgiven. "Some people never come back to face the music," she said of patrons with overdue books. "But there was really no music to face because he and the book were erased from our system." So "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" is back on Hildebrandt's shelf. In return, he's now trying to raise $4,564 for Reading is Fundamental , a nonprofit literacy group. The amount roughly represents a 50-year overdue library fine. Hildebrandt seeded the effort with $457. The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever. These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers around the country. Some of the best will become MLB stars, but there's minimal correlation to draft position. Four of the players on this list were picked after hundreds of other diamond darlings, and only two were #1 overall selections. There's also more than a handful who didn't do much for the teams that drafted them, including superstars such as Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, and Randy Johnson. Each of these players was traded before they evolved into Hall of Famers. Still, calling the draft a "crapshoot" might be going too far. College players are " slightly more likely " than high schoolers to reach the revered stadiums of the majors, and third-rounders have a better chance than fifth-rounders, for example, though the margins are slim, as Vice reported. Teams not only make picks based on years-in-advance projections but also whether they can sign players, a step that must be completed before those youngsters begin playing professionally. To see how clubs have fared since the inaugural draft in 1965, ATS.io compiled a list of the best draft pick by each franchise using data from Baseball Reference . The players were ranked using career wins above replacement , so not one recent choice was named. The amazing Mike Trout, a 32-year-old selected in 2009, is the youngest player. Unsigned picks were not considered, and players who were traded as picks were credited to their acquiring teams. Data is as of June 5, 2024. - Draft: 11th overall pick in 2006 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 457 - Career stats: 214 wins, 3.15 earned run average, 1.08 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.) - Wins above replacement: 75.0 - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1990 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,499 - Career stats: 468 home runs, .303 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) - Wins above replacement: 85.3 - Draft: 48th overall pick in 1978 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 3,001 - Career stats: 431 home runs, .276 batting average, .788 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Aberdeen HS (Aberdeen, Md.) - Wins above replacement: 95.9 - Draft: 19th overall pick in 1983 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 709 - Career stats: 354 wins, 3.12 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 139.2 - Draft: 31st overall pick in 1984 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 744 - Career stats: 355 wins, 3.16 earned run average, 1.14 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Valley HS (Las Vegas, Nev.) - Wins above replacement: 106.6 - Draft: 7th overall pick in 1989 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 2,322 - Career stats: 521 home runs, .301 batting average, .974 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.) - Wins above replacement: 73.8 - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1965 - Position: Catcher - Games played: 2,158 - Career stats: 389 home runs, .267 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Binger HS (Binger, Okla.) - Wins above replacement: 75.1 - Draft: 333rd overall pick in 1989 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,543 - Career stats: 612 home runs, .276 batting average, .956 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Illinois Central College (East Peoria, Ill.) - Wins above replacement: 73.1 - Draft: 8th overall pick in 1995 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 2,247 - Career stats: 369 home runs, .316 batting average, .953 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.) - Wins above replacement: 61.8 - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 2004 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 518 - Career stats: 260 wins, 3.25 earned run average, 1.12 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.) - Wins above replacement: 81.7 - Draft: 428th overall pick in 1988 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 2,103 - Career stats: 130 home runs, .299 batting average, .794 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: University of Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.) - Wins above replacement: 68.4 - Draft: 29th overall pick in 1971 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,707 - Career stats: 317 home runs, .305 batting average, .857 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: El Segundo HS (El Segundo, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 88.6 - Draft: 25th overall pick in 2009 - Position: Centerfielder - Games played: 1,518 - Career stats: 378 home runs, .299 batting average, .991 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Millville Senior HS (Millville, N.J.) - Wins above replacement: 86.1 - Draft: 7th overall pick in 2006 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 425 - Career stats: 210 wins, 2.48 earned run average, 1.00 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Highland Park HS (Dallas, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 79.7 - Draft: 76th overall pick in 2007 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 1,589 - Career stats: 417 home runs, .258 batting average, .874 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 44.3 - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 1973 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,856 - Career stats: 251 home runs, .285 batting average, .772 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: William Howard Taft Charter HS (Woodland Hills, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 77.4 - Draft: 55th overall pick in 1969 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 692 - Career stats: 287 wins, 3.31 earned run average, 1.20 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Santiago HS (Garden Grove, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 94.5 - Draft: 295th overall pick in 1965 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 807 - Career stats: 324 wins, 3.19 earned run average, 1.25 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Alvin HS (Alvin, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 81.3 - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1992 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,747 - Career stats: 260 home runs, .310 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Central HS (Kalamazoo, Mich.) - Wins above replacement: 71.3 - Draft: 96th overall pick in 1976 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 3,081 - Career stats: 297 home runs, .279 batting average, .820 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 111.1 - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1985 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 2,986 - Career stats: 762 home runs, .298 batting average, 1.051 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.) - Wins above replacement: 162.8 - Draft: 86th overall pick in 1977 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,573 - Career stats: 28 home runs, .262 batting average, .666 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 76.9 - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 1985 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 1,976 - Career stats: 284 home runs, .303 batting average, .880 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Miss.) - Wins above replacement: 56.5 - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1993 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,784 - Career stats: 696 home runs, .295 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Westminster Christian School (Miami, Fla.) - Wins above replacement: 117.6 - Draft: 402nd overall pick in 1999 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 3,080 - Career stats: 703 home runs, .296 batting average, .918 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods (Kansas City, Mo.) - Wins above replacement: 101.4 - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 2006 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 1,986 - Career stats: 342 home runs, .264 batting average, .804 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 58.6 - Draft: 4th overall pick in 1986 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 486 - Career stats: 211 wins, 3.28 earned run average, 1.22 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Ga.) - Wins above replacement: 67.8 - Draft: 17th overall pick in 1995 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 416 - Career stats: 203 wins, 3.38 earned run average, 1.18 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Arvada West HS (Arvada, Colo.) - Wins above replacement: 64.2 - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1985 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 618 - Career stats: 303 wins, 3.29 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 101.1 Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. - Draft: 30th overall pick in 1971 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,404 - Career stats: 548 home runs, .268 batting average, .908 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) - Wins above replacement: 106.9 Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!SIOUX CITY --The Sioux City Council green-lighted two change orders Monday for a new utilities field office building. In October, the council awarded a $7.7 million contract to H&R Construction Company, of South Sioux City, for the new office building. However, during the over-excavation process, H&R Construction noticed certain areas that contained higher amounts of moisture in the subgrade material. As the contractor was proof rolling the subgrade they noticed an excessive amount of pumping due to the extra moisture. Certified Testing Services (CTS) performed some additional material testing and verified those conditions. The field office building project consists of the construction of a new garage with supporting administrative office space. Due to foundation issues with the current facility, the new facility will be built on the site at the intersection of 18th and Steuben streets. "I'm glad we discovered it when we did instead of having a building, you know, sitting there on it," Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore said before the vote. Based on the test results, CTS provided H&R Construction with four options to ensure proper stabilization is met. City staff met with the contractor and the architect and determined what needed to be done before incoming rain could further saturate the soils. "Once the over-excavation was completed, under the building structure, it was found that there was a higher moisture content and the building area needed further stabilization," Sioux City Utilities Director Brad Puetz told the council. "Staff gave the contractor the go-ahead to complete that portion before the incoming rain damaged the soils any further. So that was the $333,000 portion. After that, it was found that the soils in the parking and drive portion are very similar. That portion to be completed would have taken the change order over the 10% amount, which needs council approval. So we stopped the project at that point." The council approved the following Monday: "If there's still rubble, that's part of what we ran into and why we're building a new utility garage," Mayor Bob Scott said. Mike Neswick, of RML Architects, LLC, told Scott that the rubble is being taken out underneath the paving and the building, which he said is included in the base bid. The do-not-exceed amount of $737,812.08 is a worst-case scenario cost. The project currently has an available balance of $6,518,074.32, with $2,200,000 being requested in FY 2026, $1,000,000 in FY 2027 and $1,000,000 in FY2028. "Just because we're approving this, I would hope you would let us know, so we know where this is coming in," Scott said to Neswick. Land at 2500 Chautauqua Drive is shown. Sioux City businessman Dave Bernstein wants to build a barge facility on 3.92 acres of vacated parkland at the site. Dolly Butz The council also accepted a Sioux City businessman's proposal to purchase vacated land in Chautauqua Park and build a barge terminal there. Sioux City businessman Dave Bernstein, president of State Steel, will buy 3.92 acres of city-owned land at 2500 Chautauqua Drive for the barge terminal, which would be used for incoming and outgoing shipments of new steel, aggregate, sand and gravel. Currently, Bernstein said State Steel is utilizing the Port of Blencoe, which is located near Blencoe, Iowa, halfway between Sioux City and Council Bluffs. There was no discussion on the matter before the vote, which was unanimous. According to city documents, Bernstein will initially invest between $250,000-$1,000,000 to construct a concrete pad, associated driveway, lighting and office on the site. City staff is currently working with Bernstein to finalize a development agreement for the sale of property. The documents stated that discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers and an operator of the barge terminal are also underway. Under the terms of the proposed development agreement, Bernstein would purchase the property from the city for $22,500 per acre, or a total of $88,200. He would construct a barge terminal on the property within three years of the executed agreement and apply for and receive all the necessary permits. The city, in turn, would sell the property to Bernstein, but reserve the right to purchase the property back at $22,500 per acre should a barge terminal not be constructed within the proposed timeframe. The city would also reserve first right of refusal to purchase the property back from Bernstein should he decide to sell the property in the future. The development agreement is expected to be brought to the council for consideration in December. The city originally acquired the property from Kraco Contracting LLC in early 1991 as part of the south riverfront development project and dedicated it as parkland that same year. The original Chautauqua Park master plan showed a stage and picnic area. RiverCade used the concrete stage for concerts for a short time in the early 1990s after having to vacate the riverfront downtown. But the stage hasn't been used since then. That portion of the park most recently served as overflow parking for the southern softball fields, as well as for local fishermen. The Journal’s Jared McNett shows how to download and browse the Sioux City Journal's app. Jesse Brothers