The saga surrounding former Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams finally came to an end after he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Running back Adrian Peterson has since offered up his thoughts on the return.

Washington traded Williams for fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Although he is happy to see a deal finally get done, Adrian Peterson admits he was hoping for a bigger haul, via Zachary Neel of the Redskins Wire:

It worked out, Adrian Peterson said on the Redskins post-draft live stream. You know, obviously, the things between Trent and the organization werent where it needed to be. But, you know, I wish we could have got more for him.

Adrian Peterson added that he will miss his former teammate and knows he landed in an ideal situation in San Francisco.

Hell be happy in San Francisco, Peterson said. But I know Ill miss him down there.

Petersons comments are certainly understandable considering Williams had played an integral role in helping him enjoy a resurgence in 2018. He had made it to seven consecutive Pro Bowls until his fallout with the team resulted in a lost 2019 campaign. Given the caliber of player he is at such an important position, Adrian Peterson was likely expecting to get more in return.

Unfortunately, it appears that was about as good as it was going to get for the front office. Adrian Peterson cant do anything about it. It is safe to say that Williams is happy with how it all turned out after being traded to a bonafide contender in the 49ers. Expectations remains as high as ever going into the 2020 NFL season coming off a loss in the Super Bowl.

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Redskins Adrian Peterson reacts to Trent Williams trade with disappointment - ClutchPoints

I write as a 17-year veteran in the cosmetology industry. As with many industries, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating for us. Soon, many of my fellow industry members and I will be pushed past the breaking point.

We understand the need for drastic public response, and we take the threat of the virus seriously.

We also need to work and want to work when the time is right and we can do it safely.

My business partners and I opened a salon eight years ago in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood in St. Paul. After working as employees for a chain salon for nine years, we decided to open up our own salon. Achieve the American dream.

The business structure is set up as a rental salon. That is, the four of us lease a commercial space, maintain that space and set up all of the elements needed to successfully run a professional salon environment. We lease individual chairs out to stylists. They are independent contractors. They run their own individual businesses. They are not W2 employees. They are separate from our business. However, we as salon owners carry a huge financial responsibility when it comes to our lease agreement, bills and inventory. Over the years, our small business has been successful because we work long hours and run a good business. Our renters like working at Urban Village and our clients love to patronize our salon.

Even in this mandatory shutdown, we have continued to do the right thing. We pay our rent and pay our bills. We have discounted our rent to our stylists and offered multiple free weeks. We were lucky to have several months in reserves as per best-practice, but, as this has now gone on for many weeks, our reserves are nearly gone. As will likely be our business which we have worked so hard to build.

I am deeply concerned about our rights in our industry right now, especially as independent contractors. Because of this business structure we have not qualified for much of the government relief that has been available to employers/employees. We have been out of work for six weeks and have not been eligible for unemployment relief. We have not been granted rent relief. We have not heard back about the small-business relief packages, many of which we are not likely eligible for. We hear that Shake Shack received millions of dollars, arent they still open for takeout? We are small, and we may not make anyone rich, but we are still important.

I have been continuously employed for the last 25 years, since I turned 16. I have paid my taxes and done everything I was supposed to do. I was forced to close my business over a month ago. I filed for unemployment and was first told I was ineligible, and now am told I have been approved for $0 a week, which is exactly the income I have received since I have been not allowed to work. I have done everything right and asked of me yet I have not received a dime since the state shut down my business. I have two young children at home to provide for and, at this time, am unsure if and when I might have any type of income, either from work or unemployment. I have sat on the phone on hold for hours with the unemployment office only to be told they are no longer taking calls today and hung up on. The response and support I have received is, to put it nicely, terrible. This experience is not unique to me my fellow hair stylist are all in the same position. The system has utterly failed us.

To take our business situation a step further toward the grave, our governing board the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology let us know that the Department of Employment and Economic Development has not included curbside salon sales as part of the Critical Sector Descriptions list, although they did say we could do mail-order sales of retail products and gift cards. Mailing heavy and bulky product cuts so far into our profit that it frankly doesnt make sense. All the while we see that restaurants and bars are able to sell their food and liquor curbside and gift shops can sell their knickknacks curbside. We cant help but feel as if we, a predominantly women-run industry, are being discriminated against. Selling products curbside could make it possible to keep the lights on as we wait to reopen someday.

Please know that I (along with my three business partners and many of our colleagues) understand the severity of this pandemic. We realize that our work is face to face, and at this moment of trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19 we cant work. We cant provide the services that make the bulk of our income, but we should be able to sell our products to our clients. To ensure that this is done in a safe way we have an online system set up for them to order and pay, all we would have to do it deliver it curbside with masks and gloves on. I think that what we are asking for is fair.

I am also asking our political leaders and regulators to engage our industry as they look to re-open the economy.

Its interesting that not only are restaurants and bars listed as a top priority but so are places like gyms. All of these places require face-to-face interaction in which someone is either making someone else food or sweating next to someone else.These businesses have received more attention than ours, and Im glad everyone is working to find a safe way to let them get back to work.

But theres no reason they should matter more than our businesses.

We are able to operate our salon in a safe manner using CDC-recommended protocols, and we should be considered in the same essential category as other service industry groups.

Taking care of our clients is our No. 1 priority, and here, for example, are some of the protocols we will implement and enforce once we are allowed to reopen.

1. We will ask people to wait in their cars until we are ready for their appointment. We will text or call when we are ready for them. We will ask that clients come alone (no kids, partners, friends).

2. We will ask clients and stylists to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon arrival.

3. We will have masks for both clients and service providers if they dont have their own.

4. We will thoroughly sanitize stations, surfaces and tools in between every single client.

5. We will not offer beverages or magazines for now.

6. We will ask both clients and service providers to stay home if they dont feel well.

We can and will operate safely. We need the powers that be to hear us.

Again, as a primarily woman-owned industry with small overall assets, it is hard to not feel discriminated against. It feels like we are being ignored. We have received no updates on when we might be able to sell products curbside (as other business are already allowed to do) or when we might return to work. To date, we have received no communication regarding this.

We have continued to fulfill our obligations by paying our rent and utilities and taxes yet have received no indication if all of this is futile because we may be closed for months or years. The lack of communication and respect for our work and industry is disappointing and saddening.

I have written letters to the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology, the Salon and Spa professional association, my local representatives, and Gov. Walz. I ask that our concerns be taken seriously so we can find a way to make it through this devastating time.

Bee Peterson of St. Paul is co-owner of Urban Village Salonspa in St. Paul.

Read more here:

Bee Peterson: We want to work. We will do it safely. Let us help figure things out so we can reopen - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

All the previously unreleased video clips featured in The Last Dance show Michael Jordan in a light many have never seen before, displaying his ultra-competitive reputation and fiery nature in a different capacity.

Its also led to something else: Buzz Peterson questioning his own wardrobe selection and his fashion sense during his teenage days four decades ago.

Yeah, Im sure people have been holding on to this film for years, the Hornets assistant GM told The Athletic. The part where Michael and I had on green shorts God almighty. I never knew I owned a pair of green shorts like that. I had no idea. So thats embarrassing. But Im sure there is a lot of footage out there that Im eager to see. Im eager to see how he played for the Bulls and everything. I know this: If you start running your mouth back to him, you are only stroking that fire, putting more fuel on that fire, and boy it can...

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The one player Michael Jordan was scared of in college? Buzz Peterson details it - The Athletic

If the Washington Redskins newest UDFA tight end Thaddeus Moss can make the roster this fall, he will put one member of the Redskins in a unique position.

Veteran running back Adrian Peterson will be able to say hes then played in games with both Randy Moss and his son Thaddeus, during his historic career.

Randy and Adrian played on the same team in Minnesota with the Vikings back in 2010, when the Hall of Fame WR was in the middle of his second stint with the team. Moss only played four games with the Vikings that year, but he and AP were lined up in the same offense during that time.

Now, if Thad can prove to be a dynamic blocker and pass-catcher at the next level like he was in college at LSU, he will have a chance to play with one of his dads old teammates, completing a nice loop in the circle of time.

Continued here:

Adrian Peterson can play with both Thaddeus and Randy Moss in career - Redskins Wire

TAMPA, Fla. At least 55 long term care facilities in Tampa Bay have reported positive coronavirus cases and the numbers keep growing.

"The speed in which this has grown into a monstrous problem is head-spinning," Lindsay Peterson said.

Peterson is an assistant professor at the University of South Florida's School of Aging Studies. She says it's not hard to figure out how the spike in cases at senior facilities happened.

Today St. Mark Village in Palm Harbor started removing residents from their facility. Their CEO Doug Fresh confirmed there were at least 13 cases in the Skilled Nursing Care Center. Many of the residents were taken to AdventHealth North Pinellas in Tarpon Springs.

"This is something completely different than we've ever seen. Very early on nursing homes were sounding the alarm saying, 'This is going to devastate us,'" Peterson said.

Florida Health reported 335 facilities across the state have been impacted by the coronavirus. Over 2,600 residents and staff have tested positive, and nearly 300 people have died. Peterson says those numbers will continue to climb.

"Our case numbers could be different in the long-term care population than the general population. We may see a leveling off in the general population, but not so much in the long term care," Peterson said.

The concern is a lack of testing. While the National Guard deploys strike teams to speed things up, tests can't be done quickly enough.

"The real problem with this is the long period of time that someone can be asymptomatic. If this is a healthcare worker in a nursing home or assisted living community where they're required to be very close to the people they care for, we're going to see what we're seeing right now," Peterson said.

Peterson says staff at nursing homes need better personal protection equipment and accurate testing to keep COVID-19 contained.

"Testing is the most important thing to do right now to be able to treat those who have the infection away from those who don't," Peterson said.

RELATED: Senior care facility sees first COVID-19 death after moving patients amid outbreak

RELATED: 2 more residents die from COVID-19 at nursing home evacuated after outbreak

RELATED: 23 people died from COVID-19 at two facilities in Manatee County

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Nursing homes sounded the alarm weeks ago, knowing COVID-19 could be devastating - WTSP.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Every time Chase Peterson goes to pick up an order, he wonders if hes putting himself at risk of catching COVID-19.

Peterson is a delivery driver for DoorDash in Kansas City, Missouri.

Delivery drivers are considered essential workers who are still on the job while stay-at-home orders mean thousands of other people arent working or are working remotely.

Peterson believes he deserves extra pay for the risk hes taking. Its a concept called hazard pay. Peterson even created a petition online asking DoorDash to raise the base pay per delivery.

Every day, every order you just don't really know. And then I have to come home to my wife, so it's very concerning just daily," Peterson said.

Dashers get paid a base for each delivery plus tips. The base varies depending on several factors.

Peterson said that sliding scale is too inconsistent. He would like to see DoorDash increase the minimum base to $5 per delivery during the pandemic and afterward.

Its not much, but it's something, Peterson explained. It would feel good daily knowing I could come home with something.

A DoorDash spokesperson didnt directly address Petersons petition, but listed several steps the company is taking to protect Dashers during the pandemic.

The company ordered 5 million face masks and is distributing them with gloves, wipes and hand sanitizer to Dashers. Those Dashers have to pay $5 for shipping.

DoorDash also created a financial assistance program to give Dashers paid sick leave. To make it easier for Dashers to access a doctor should they think theyre getting sick, the company partnered with a telehealth organization to offer discounted virtual doctors visits.

DoorDash established contactless delivery as a default during the pandemic so Dashers dont have to come in contact with customers.

In addition, we are in constant contact with our Dasher community, reminding them of local and national mandates, as well as general CDC guidance, as the situation evolves, a spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson said Dashers now get occupational accident insurance at no cost and are making about $5 more per active hour now than at this time last year. Peterson argues you have to be in the right time at the right place to reach that higher pay.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, no federal law requires private employers to offer hazard pay. Many unions, including SEIU in Missouri, have called on hospitals to pay nurses and other healthcare workers hazard pay.

In Overland Park, Kansas, city leaders have debated whether to give first responders hazard pay during the pandemic. So far, they have not approved the idea.

Grocery stores in the area are paying employees extra. Employees at Whole Foods are earning an extra $2 per hour. Hy-Vee is giving all employees a monthly bonus of 10 percent. And Price Chopper is doing a combination of pay increases and bonuses.

Our teammates are doing amazing work to keep the stores stocked and operating and were incredibly grateful for all they do, Casie Broker, Price Choppers chief marketing officer said in a statement.

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KC DoorDash driver starts petition for hazard pay; what other companies are doing - KSHB

KANSAS CITY - The MIAA announced its latest class to be inducted into the league's Hall of Fame.

Central Missouri will have three inducted this year: from Jennies volleyball, Caitlin (Pankratz) Peterson; from Mules baseball, coach Tom Myers; and from Jennies basketball; Tammy Wilson.

All three members are a part of the UCM Hall of Fame with Peterson and Myers entering in 2019 and Wilson having been inducted in 1998.

Caitlin (Pankratz) Peterson - Jennies volleyball (2005 to 2009)

For four years, Caitlin (Pankratz) Peterson was as consistent as anyone in Jennies volleyball history. From 2006 to 09, she led the team in assists, totaling 5,502 in her illustrious career, second-most in UCM history and still the eighth-most in MIAA history. As a senior, Peterson helped the Jens to their first MIAA title since 2000, winning in 2009. One of the most decorated athletes in UCM Volleyball history, Peterson was an All-American, two-time All-Region, two-time All-MIAA and three-time Academic All-District selection. She also won the UCM Dr. Peggy Martin Award, and was an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. She was inducted into the Central Missouri Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the fourth Jennies volleyball player to be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame.

Tom Myers - Mules baseball coach (2008 to 2014)

In seven seasons as head coach of Central Missouri Mules baseball, Tom Myers led UCM to six NCAA appearances. He compiled a 311-91 (.774) record while winning four MIAA regular season, four MIAA Tournament and three NCAA Regional titles. Five times coach Myers led the Mules to more than 40 wins in a season and he is just one of two coaches with more than 300 career wins at UCM. Myers was the 2010 South Central Region Coach of the Year and the 2011 MIAA Coach of the Year, after winning a record 37 conference games. He was inducted into the UCM Hall of Fame in 2018 and will be the fifth from Mules baseball inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame.

Tammy Wilson - Jennies basketball (1985 to 1989)

Tammy Wilson enjoyed a standout four-year career (1985-89) for the Jennies, helping them produce four straight 20-win seasons, three MIAA championships and a trip to the NCAA Division II Finals in 1989. A graduate of Hazelwood Central High School, Wilson is the Jennies career leader in scoring (2,104 points) and rebounding (1,205 rebounds) and is sixth in the MIAA in career points and second in rebounds. She is the only basketball player in Central Missouri State history, male or female, to score more than 2,000 career points and have more 1,000 career rebounds. She also is the only Jennies basketball player to earn first-team All-America honors two straight seasons (1987-88, 1988-89). In addition to holding the Jennies career scoring and rebounding records, she also is the Jennies career leader in field goal percentage (59.3) and is the Jennies single-season record holder for points (676) and field goal percentage (62.7). She led the Jennies in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage as a sophomore, junior and senior. She was the MIAA most valuable player as a sophomore and a junior. The Jennies were 101-23 during her four-year career, winning MIAA co-championships in 1986 and 1988 and claiming an undefeated MIAA title in 1989. That season the Jennies were 29-5, had a school-record 25-game winning streak and placed fourth in Division II. She was inducted into the UCM Hall of Fame in 1998 and is the third member of Jennies basketball to enter the MIAA Hall of Fame.

The MIAA Hall of Fame induction will be a part of the MIAA Awards Ceremony presented by Husch Blackwell, at a date yet to be determined due to the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. The announcement of the event will be announced after local, state and national health officials properly advise for such activities to take place.

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Three from Central Missouri to be inducted into MIAA Hall of Fame - The Daily Star-Journal

As we await two more new episodes of the basketball documentary The Last Dance, a couple of Michael Jordans former college teammates reminisced this week about another last dance with the man who is now their boss.

Joe Wolf and Buzz Peterson were at Carolina in 1984 when Jordan and the Tar Heels went on a wild ride that looked for a while like they would go down in history as one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time.

But that dance didnt end the way they dreamed.

Greensboro Swarm head basketball coach Joe Wolf directs his team from the sideline during the game against Westchester in Greensboro, N.C., on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

We knew we were great, said Wolf, now the coach of the Charlotte Hornets' NBA G League team in Greensboro. We knew we had a chance to win it all. I just remember being in that locker room after it ended just bawling my eyes out.

That NCAA Tournament loss to Indiana was Jordans last college game. It was the end of a great story and the beginning of a fairy-tale career in the NBA.

The story of Jordans rise from his parents driveway in Wilmington to that last season at Carolina is vaguely familiar to most of us. But there are stories we dont know that help explain how he went from a frustrated junior varsity player at Laney High School to maybe the best player in the history of the game.

Buzz Peterson and Michael Jordan entered Carolina together to begin play during the 1981-82 basketball season.

It all started in that driveway, said Peterson, now the assistant general manager for the Hornets, owned by Jordan. He had two older brothers. A lot older. And they would beat the crap out of him everyday. Thats where that competitive drive started. He just wanted to beat his brothers.

Those brothers, by the way, are now on Jordan's staff in Charlotte.

Jordan said in a recent interview he was worried about how he would be portrayed in the documentary, how he famously demanded every teammate put every ounce of energy into every single game and every single practice.

If not, they risked confrontation with the most competitive man in the game.

He had that instilled in him, Peterson said. It came from his family.

Joe Wolf, left, playing against Duke.

Wolf said Jordan brought that from Wilmington to Chapel Hill. And it didnt end on the basketball court.

I had known Michael since the ninth grade. Wolf said. We had played against each other at Coach Smiths camp. To be around him everyday and see that competitive drive in every aspect was amazing. But we were all like that. Coach Smith recruited confident and competitive players of high character. Thats who we were. It didnt matter if it was practice inside Carmichael or pickup games at Granville Towers. It was even that way when we played ping-pong and pool.

Wolf tells an amazing story of how he and team manager Dean McCord would play a high-powered game of ping-pong every night after games or practices.

We were the best two players by far, he said. No one else was close. But every single night, Michael would watch us and wait to play the winner. He lost all the time. But he would still challenge me every night. I mean every night. And eventually, he got better. Eventually, he was better than us at ping-pong.

And the same thing happened with pool. I was the best pool player for a while, before Steve Bucknall came over from England. Michael played me because I was the best, but Bucknall had played snookers in England, and when Michael realized that he was better than me, Michael left me in the dust and played Bucknall every night.

Peterson said it didnt matter what game it was or just elements within the games. Jordan was going to get better at something every year of his life.

Ive known Michael since the summer of 1980, he said. "We met at the North Carolina basketball camp, though we never saw each other play. We knew of each other. He just walked up to me one day and said, Hey, my names Mike Jordan. Im from Wilmington. We became friends. And we became competitors.

Hornets owner Michael Jordan with Buzz Peterson, right, and Mitch Kupchak from his staff at a Virginia-Carolina basketball game in 2019.

Peterson played at Asheville High School on the other side of the state from Jordan, but they competed anyway. And when Peterson and not Jordan was named high school player of the year in North Carolina, well, lets just say Jordan has never forgotten it.

He still talks about it, Peterson said.

I remember talking to him that summer about camps I was going to, and he didnt know about any of them," Peterson said. "It angered him a little to hear that the top 200 players were going to a camp in Atlanta or the Five-Star Camp that he didnt know about.

Roy Williams, then a Carolina assistant coach, would later watch Jordan in a pickup game and call Howard Garfinkel to arrange his invitation to Five-Star, a weekend that Jordan would later say changed how I felt about basketball. It was the turning point in my life.

Peterson said to watch Jordans game develop year after year was amazing, even though he had his own dreams of playing in the NBA one day. Playing against Jordan every day, he said, was hard.

I had a little ego about my game, too, he said. So at first, it wasnt easy knowing hes the best player in the country. I now believe hes the best player to ever lace them up. If I had to do it all over again, Id come right back to Chapel Hill. We all would.

Michael Jordan during his North Carolina playing games.

That last season before Jordan would go pro, Carolina won its first 21 games and went undefeated in the ACC. Six players would go on to play in the NBA, and Jordan would indeed go on to be one of the greatest to play the game.

But the last dance at UNC would end in injury and defeat, first freshman point guard Kenny Smith against LSU and then Brad Daugherty in the NCAA Tournament. Jordan even fouled out of his final game, limited to 13 points.

He was hungry, Wolf said. He never took a day off. We had a special team and we worked hard. And it didnt matter what game we were playing.

Peterson said it was more than a month after that season when Jordan decided to go pro, but even then he was torn.

Wed been out the night before, I think with Davis Love, Peterson said. I remember the last thing I asked him that night when my head hit the pillow. I asked him what he was going to decide that next day.

Peterson said he would never forget Jordans response.

Buzz, he said, I dont know. I wont know until I talk to Coach Smith.

Jordans last dance at Carolina ended the next day.

Michael Jordan, with North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, announces on May 5, 1984, that he will leave school after his junior year to go to the NBA.

Contact Ed Hardin at 336-373-7069, and follow @Ed_Hardin on Twitter.

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Michael Jordan's 'last dance' at Carolina, through the eyes of his teammates - Winston-Salem Journal

Michael Jordan wasn't easily intimidated on a basketball court. From the time that he was in high school through his final game in the NBA, Jordan never shied away from competition. Instead, he embraced it head on and usually came out on top. While it may have seemed like Jordan wasn't scared of facing off against anyone, that apparently wasn't the case.

According to Buzz Peterson, Jordan's college roommate and teammate at the University of North Carolina, there was one person in particular who injected some fear into M.J. every time he stepped onto the court. However, this wasn't anyone on the Tar Heels' roster, or even an NBA player. Instead, it was NFL All-Pro linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who had attended North Carolina prior to being drafted by the New York Giants in 1981, and apparently made frequent returns to campus.

Here's what Peterson, a member of UNC's 1982 title team, had to say about the dynamic between Jordan and Taylor in an interview with The Athletic:

There is one guy that I always thought, and I know to this day I don't know if Michael won't admit or not, but I swear that he had a little bit of fear of and it wasn't a basketball player. It was a football player by the name of Lawrence Taylor. LT, phenomenal athlete. Could guard east to west, as quick as anybody, could jump, big hands, strong and was a bit crazy. So Michael in the back of his mind said, "Shit, I better be careful with this guy." And LT always wanted to guard him."

Jordan admitting he was intimidated by anyone out on the floor is highly unlikely, but if there was one person who had a feel for Jordan's feelings at that point in time, it would be his teammate and roommate at North Carolina. Jordan, in fact, was even the best man at Peterson's wedding, and Peterson currently serves as the assistant general manager for the Charlotte Hornets, the team owned by Jordan.

Taylor was a freak athletically. During his NFL career, he won two Super Bowls, made 10 Pro Bowls, was named both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year (three times) and he led the league in sacks in 1996. He was also about 6-3 and 240 pounds. Thus, given his sheer size and athletic ability, it's certainly believable that Jordan would have second thoughts any time they matched up on the floor, even if he would never admit it.

Read more here:

Michael Jordan feared a certain NFL legend on the basketball court, according to his North Carolina roommate - CBS Sports

And now they dont.

The Lumberjacks, like nearly all of their peers across the country, are now burdened with the reality of no games, no meets and no matches due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Minnesota State High School League officially canceled the spring sports season on Thursday, shutting the door on another rite of passage.

Theres just no way of getting this season back, said BHS Activities Director Troy Hendricks. Thats the part thats difficult for those families, for those kids, for those coaches who have worked extremely hard and were looking forward to that senior season. Its not going to come.

For many, this spring should have been the last act in representing their hometown. Yet a lifetime of anticipation, all leading to the culmination of their careers, was lost in one fell swoop.

I cant even begin to understand what theyre going through, Hendricks said. But I know that, through this difficult situation, theyll handle it like true Lumberjacks. There are better days ahead, and theyll become better people because of it.

In lieu of a senior season, Bemidji athletes from all seven spring sports offered their perspectives on adversity, on loss and on an opponent no one saw coming.

"I was really hoping for a good season. But Im really thankful that I had the season I did last year, and had the chances that I did. Going to state (as an individual) was an amazing experience." Damaris Berg (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

Damaris Berg reached the highest stage of golf last year. Good thing, too, because it turned out to be her last window of opportunity.

I was really hoping for a good season, she said. But Im really thankful that I had the season I did last year, and had the chances that I did. Going to state (as an individual) was an amazing experience.

This season, for the first time since 2013, the Lumberjacks wont be represented at Bunker Hills. Berg, nor fellow seniors Nora Abrahamson, Emma Alexander, Kylen Fenson and Eva Laituri, will even have the chance.

We obviously wanted to go to state as a team, Berg said. That was a big goal, and that has been a big goal for many years.

However, Bergs family has helped her keep a grounded perspective.

Theyre saying that its great I had that experience last year, she said. And Ive had the experience (of playing golf) freshman to junior year, so that was super nice. Im thankful for the opportunities Ive had.

Berg also quickly acknowledged that this isnt the end of the world. And shell still have plenty of chances to hit the links.

I still have the rest of my life ahead of me, she said. And I can still play golf whenever I want. Some sports, you cant play again after high school, but golf, you can continue as long as you want, really.

Berg will pursue Biblical studies at Free Lutheran Bible College in the fall.

BHS girls golf seniors: Nora Abrahamson, Emma Alexander, Damaris Berg, Kylen Fenson and Eva Laituri.

"Being optimistic in this time is really tough, but hopefully, if we keep that mentality, well be able to get through the next few months." Dylan Hinners (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

Dylan Hinners saw it coming.

When things started to get bad and they started talking about shutting down schools, I figured there was a pretty good possibility that the season wasnt going to happen, he said. So it didnt hit me too hard once they announced it. I figured there wasnt too much hope for it.

Hinners had high hopes for his boys golf team, which featured a young core that would have had the chance to prove itself on the course and earn its stripes throughout the season.

Our team looked really good, and I was really looking forward to playing with a bunch of guys that I hadnt played with before, Hinners said. We had some new people on the team. I feel like we could have done pretty well this year.

Instead, the Jacks will never know. Hinners will graduate this spring, alongside senior teammates Ryley LaVenture and Vinny Tesch, without the chance to author a new chapter in the programs storied history.

The best way to look at it is that there isnt much we can do. We sort of have to deal with whats been given to us, Hinners said. Being optimistic in this time is really tough, but hopefully, if we keep that mentality, well be able to get through the next few months.

Hinners will enroll at Bemidji State this fall, where he will major in accounting. He hopes to play golf for the Beavers as a walk-on.

BHS boys golf seniors: Dylan Hinners, Ryley LaVenture and Vinny Tesch.

"This was one last hurrah before our senior year ended. Those girls are my best friends, so I was pretty excited about it." Ashley Hofstad (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

This spring was supposed to be a final chance for Ashley Hofstad to spend time with her childhood friends.

When they finally did call it all off, it was pretty disappointing, she said. I had a great group of friends that were going to be in track this year, and I was so excited to compete.

Hofstad would have been off and running in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. Like fellow seniors Katie Alto, Kayla DeWitt, Danielle Gray, Lindsey Hildenbrand, Ada Lee and Gwendoline Youso, the captain was driven to beat her personal-best times and had aspirations of making the state meet.

Hofstad held out hope, but she read the writing on the wall.

Ive been bracing myself for this, she said. I was trying to stay positive and say, Maybe well come back. But I kind of knew that it was going to end.

Hofstad wont get the chance to chase her goals, and, whats worse, shes even been denied the opportunity to share the season with her teammates.

This was one last hurrah before our senior year ended. Those girls are my best friends, so I was pretty excited about it, she said. Were pretty bummed out. Were not able to play our sports, but were not even allowed to see each other. On a daily basis, were not even allowed to hang out, which is really tough.

Hofstad will attend Minnesota State University Moorhead next year to study physical therapy.

BHS girls track and field seniors: Katie Alto, Kayla DeWitt, Danielle Gray, Lindsey Hildenbrand, Ashley Hofstad, Ada Lee and Gwendoline Youso.

"Losing in the section championship last year was pretty heartbreaking for us. Its a heartbreaker that thats our last game, but thats the reality now." Keena Kondos (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

When Keena Kondos walked off the field to end last season, she had no idea it would be for the last time.

We obviously wanted to go to state super bad this year, the second baseman said. Losing in the section championship last year was pretty heartbreaking for us. Its a heartbreaker that thats our last game, but thats the reality now.

Kondos is one of eight seniors on a veteran softball team, joining Riley Bradley, Gracie Fisher, Maddie Hanson, Emma Stanoch, Anikka Takkunen, Lindsey Theis and Katie Watt in a group that had its sights on a second section title within three years.

Without the opportunity to earn it, though, the bunch has relied on each other as they cope with a sour end to their careers.

Theres been a lot of tears, not going to lie, Kondos said. But its been all right. Im still in touch with my teammates and everything. Were doing a lot of communication, which is good, but its heartbreaking for all of us.

Kondos has combated the sad reality by leaning on teammates, going on walks and spending extra time with family.

Were trying to be positive with everything, she said. It could be way worse for us. We could end up getting the coronavirus. Were all still pretty blessed in a way.

Kondos will hop across town to attend Bemidji State in the fall, where she will major in elementary education.

BHS softball seniors: Riley Bradley, Gracie Fisher, Maddie Hanson, Keena Kondos, Emma Stanoch, Anikka Takkunen, Lindsey Theis and Katie Watt.

"All throughout childhood, its basically all working up to your senior year of your baseball season because thats the first big, monumental step in your career." Steven Peterson (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

Undoubtedly, a pandemic can pretty easily throw a wrench into someones future. Just ask Steven Peterson.

I was going to take this school ball season to determine whether or not I was going to play in college, he said. Im not really sure how thats going to go now.

Peterson, the ace of the baseball team, was gearing up to go alongside fellow seniors Colby Carlson and Reid Colley. The trio was ready for their last run at a section championship, which has proven to be close but oh-so elusive in recent years.

All throughout childhood, its basically all working up to your senior year of your baseball season because thats the first big, monumental step in your career, Peterson said. Its leaving your mark on the program as a senior and potentially being a captain, too. Now that none of that gets to happen, its going to suck. Ill probably never fully get over it.

However, the team has found an outlet to overcome the postponement, and ultimate cancellation, of the season: Wiffle ball.

Its fun getting out there to play without any stress, Peterson said. We had a lot of fun with that, so we were all really happy. We always told ourselves, Hey, if theres no school ball season, were going to start a Wiffle ball league.

Next fall, Peterson will attend Vermilion Community College for its Wildland/Wildlife Law Enforcement program. He is undecided on his plans with the Sailors baseball team.

BHS baseball seniors: Colby Carlson, Reid Colley and Steven Peterson.

"All the boys are sad because its not only the competition were losing out on. Its the environment, the community that you get to be a part of when youre in a sport. Thats what Im missing most." Louis Saxton (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

A year removed from heartbreak, Louis Saxtons boys tennis team reloaded for redemption.

We were extremely strong, Saxton said. It was really tough knowing that, after all the early work weve put in, we werent going to get a chance to go prove that we were this good.

In 2019, the Jacks fell one match shy of the programs first state berth. All but one graduate was due to return, and 10 seniors -- Jonah Fuhrman, Eric Guida, Wyatt Harrom, Ben Hess, Silas Hess, Isaac McNallan, Kolden Michalicek, Logan Mitchell, Quincy Wilson and Saxton -- had the team believing it was capable of history.

Thats why it stings.

We all, in the back of our minds, were preparing for this, Saxton said. But at the same time, we really hoped that something was going to miraculously happen so we could get our season back.

Saxton understands the takeaway from the cancellation -- that we dont have total control over everything in our lives all the time. But, clearly, it can be a costly lesson to learn.

The players on the team have been handling it wonderfully, Saxton said. All the boys are sad because its not only the competition were losing out on. Its the environment, the community that you get to be a part of when youre in a sport. Thats what Im missing most.

Saxton will attend the University of Colorado Boulder this fall on a cello scholarship. He hopes to remain involved in tennis within the schools club program.

BHS boys tennis seniors: Jonah Fuhrman, Eric Guida, Wyatt Harrom, Ben Hess, Silas Hess, Isaac McNallan, Kolden Michalicek, Logan Mitchell, Louis Saxton and Quincy Wilson.

"Being in the position Im in right now, with a healthy family and being healthy myself, its pretty relieving that this is all I have to worry about." Nick Snell (Photo by Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

Nick Snell knows the world has more to worry about than high school track and field right now. So, all things considered, he counts himself lucky.

There are a lot of people out there losing a lot more than their senior season, he said. People are losing jobs or losing loved ones. Being in the position Im in right now, with a healthy family and being healthy myself, its pretty relieving that this is all I have to worry about.

Snell had planned to compete in the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter run and the long jump, plus the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. Now, nobody will know what he and fellow seniors Jaden Atkinson, James Branham, Aidan Helwig, Gage Mostad and Alex Robertson would have accomplished.

It was my last season in high school sports, said Snell, a three-sport athlete. I wanted to put everything I could into seeing how far I could go, how fast I could get. Its tough not knowing what I could have done. Im just thankful to be safe right now.

The past month of staying home has helped Snell brace for the seemingly inevitable to come to light.

My family and I have really connected a lot more because of this, he said. Its helped me stay happy and stay positive, and thats allowed me to be positive for my friends and my teammates who are also going through it.

Snell will attend the University of North Dakota this fall and study computer science.

BHS boys track and field seniors: Jaden Atkinson, James Branham, Aidan Helwig, Gage Mostad, Alex Robertson and Nick Snell.

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The faces of adversity: Bemidji seniors mourn the death of a final season that never was - Bemidji Pioneer

Last month, the governor announced a $116 million Medicaid-funded initiative to help providers and hospitals, as well as a $10 million community development block grant program to help rural hospitals. Peterson says it was too early to say what impact the $116 million initiative would have on Baxter. On April 18, the governor announced the distribution of the $10 million in grants to 27 hospitals in the state, including $500,000 to Baxter Regional.

All of these measures, as well as other state and federal initiatives to aid hospitals during the pandemic, have been helpful, Ryall said. But it certainly doesnt backfill all the revenue that has been lost, he said. Every little bit helps and were appreciative of everything, but weve got big numbers that are occurring right now.

Baxter Regional began experiencing a decrease in the volume of patients it sees around the middle of March.

Patients are taking our advice and doing the right thing, staying home, Peterson says.

Elective procedures and routine appointments were already being postponed when the state mandated on April 3 that procedures, testing and office visits that could be safely postponed had to be rescheduled. The hospital is also seeing fewer trauma patients as people spend more time at home (for example, people are less likely to wind up in an automobile accident). Others may be resisting coming to the hospital for needed care because of fears of the virus. All told, volume throughout Baxter Regional, including emergency services, physician offices and inpatient stays, has fallen by around 30%, translating to a decline in revenues of roughly 40%.

The fall in revenues comes alongside increases in costs to prepare for COVID-19. Patients suspected of COVID-19 have to be treated as if they are infected until the hospital gets confirmation of a negative test, which has increased the hospitals utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as N95 masks. Masks used to cost around 95 cents each. The price has now spiked to around $3 each (some sellers are asking for $5 or more, Peterson says, which would push costs up even further if the hospital ever faced a shortage and had to seek additional sellers). Testing remains a challenge, as the hospital is still unable to test on-site. Initially, tests sent to the Arkansas Department of Health in early March had a 6-to-8 day turnaround, but that has more recently improved to 24 to 48 hours, Peterson said.

Like many of the states rural hospitals, Baxter Regionals fiscal situation was already tight before the crisis.

For the last several years, weve had a 2% operating margin, Peterson said. Thats the average, if youre lucky. Theres several rural hospitals that I dont even believe have that kind of operating margin. But thats a very slim margin and when you start dropping 30 to 35% of your volume, you have to take a look at how can you keep the organization sustained and survive.

The hospital normally operates in the black on a monthly basis, but for the month of March, the hospital was $1.4 million in the red; the projection for April is a shortfall of $6 to $6.5 million. May could likely be even worse, Peterson says.

On April 6, the hospital announced a series of cuts to deal with the temporary shortfalls related to COVID-19: a hold on annual market-based pay increases, reductions in salary for executives and the leadership team, reduction in hours for many workers, a hiring freeze for noncritical positions and furloughing 105 employees. Those furloughed will continue to receive health insurance from Baxter Regional and will be eligible for unemployment compensation.

Baxter Regionals second round of 175 furloughs brought the total to 280. The number of positions that have been left vacant under the hiring freeze is up to 70. The hope is that all of these moves will be temporary. The hospital stated in a press release: Baxter Regional realizes that these are difficult days for our nation, state, local community and organization but is confident we will get through this together and overcome these challenges.

When the health care industry takes a hit, it has a profound impact on the local economy, Peterson said. Prior to the cuts, Baxter Regional employed around 1,700 people, making it by far the largest employer in the community. One in four jobs in Baxter County are health-care related, including the hospital and independent providers.

Peterson says that he anticipates volume will pick up in the near future.

The drop can only go on for so long, he says. Health care services can be delayed, but I believe there will be pent-up demand and theres going to be a burst at some point.

In this way, rural hospitals face a dilemma not dissimilar to small businesses like restaurants demand for services that doesnt exist now will be coming soon, but without significant cash reserves or huge margins from previous years, the immediate revenue hit makes it hard to stay afloat.

You have to look at how you survive and be prepared for the surge and the influx weeks later, Peterson adds.

In the meantime, hospitals like Baxter Regional also must prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak. As of April 20, there have been just five confirmed cases in Baxter County and one in Marion County, the hospitals primary service areas.

Thank goodness, and hopefully a surge does not happen, but you do have to plan for that, Peterson says.

The hospital has a team dedicated to COVID response which has been meeting daily since the first confirmed case in Arkansas on March 11. In the case of a surge of COVID-19 cases, the hospital has 49 beds that could be used to treat COVID patients, in rooms that could be converted to have negative air pressure to contain the virus, including nine in the ICU.

The hospital has 17 ventilators and 17 anesthesia machines. Additional beds could potentially be converted if a surge stretched that capacity, including an additional eight ICU beds in which case small, critical-access hospitals in the region could help by taking on non-COVID patients.

In addition to the federal stimulus payments from the CARES Act and the block grant aid from the state, Arkansas has also initiated a $75 million program, paid for with the governors rainy day fund, to provide PPE to health care providers. Baxter Regional received its first shipment last week, including around 2,400 gowns and 26,000 gloves, with more expected soon.

The state and federal government have also established plans to advance money now to help with immediate cashflow that hospitals and other providers will eventually repay. Arkansas has delayed Medicaid-related payments that hospitals would normally owe the state now until June, and the federal government has fronted Medicare reimbursement payments now that providers can pay back later this year.

We appreciate everything thats being done, and its all been beneficial, Peterson says. But hospitals in rural areas that are large enough to be able to handle COVID patients and are operating on very thin margins its a very difficult time for us at this moment.

If the revenues dont turn around soon, he said, it could threaten the ability of Baxter Regional and similar hospitals to sustain themselves in their current form.

It could change the landscape of hospitals in rural Arkansas, theres no question, says Peterson.

Its a bleak picture right now, Ryall says. Im hearing from hospitals that got their March numbers, and looking toward April and May its going to be devastating. Thats why youre seeing the furloughs and cuts. Hospitals are just trying to survive to when the patients do come back.

The Arkansas Hospital Association has provided grant money to ANNN.

This reporting is courtesy of the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, an independent, nonpartisan news project dedicated to producing journalism that matters to Arkansans.

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The economic fallout of COVID-19: Baxter Regional fights to survive - ktlo.com

We know the world is upside down when conservative media start praising Sweden -- land of an expansive welfare state and the taxes to support it, not to mention climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Pictures of Swedes sitting in cafes having their coffee leave the impression that the lockdowns in America might be unnecessary and such imagery dovetails with the President's suggestion that some states need to be "liberated."

While it is true Sweden has chosen to keep schools, restaurants, gyms and other businesses open, it has also banned large gatherings and called for physical distancing, hand-washing, working from home, avoiding travel and contact with the most vulnerable. The difference is, authorities believe the people can make their own judgments in a society where culturally one is expected to put the community's needs before one's own.

In comparison to Illinois with a population of just over 12.6 million, Sweden has 10.2 million people. Illinois has had 41,777 cases and, as this is written 1,874 deaths. Sweden has had 18,177 cases and 2,192 deaths and more than 80 percent of those who have died have been over 70. These numbers are misleading because Sweden has been even slower than the U.S. to test and is only starting to ramp that up now.

For me, this is personal. I still have a significant number of first cousins there -- one who works in a hospital -- and I have had a regular back and forth with my cousin Lars, who is a retired school administrator. I asked him what he thought.

Lars notes that many Swedes feel epidemiologist Anders Tegnell (Sweden's Dr. Fauci) and Sweden's public health system and hospitals have generally done an excellent job. The hospitals have not been overrun and there is a high level of trust in the universal health system. All the parties in the parliament have rallied behind the government.

That said, the jury is still very much out and there has been some strong internal criticism of what is very openly a "herd immunity" approach. A group of the country's most senior epidemiologists have called on Tegnell to resign and the Prime Minister has acknowledged that they have not done enough to protect seniors. In addition, immigrant communities, that often live in more crowded households, have had high infection rates. In comparison to its Nordic neighbors (Norway, Finland,

and Denmark) that have stricter controls, Sweden's death rate has been anywhere from three to six times greater.

Anecdotally, Lars and his wife Ulla, say they don't eat in restaurants, don't travel, shop early in the morning, and go for walks. Lars' educational consulting business has become completely digital. His son, an administrative judge in Stockholm, and his wife have also largely worked from home. Lars notes that Sweden has an excellent broadband network, even in the rural areas of Sweden, and that Stockholm has an exceptionally high percentage of people who live on their own. Up to 75 percent in Stockholm can work from home, and cellphone data confirms that is what they are doing. All that promotes physical distancing

Sweden's unemployment rate has now hit eight percent, kept down by government programs. Lars believes, like many Swedes, that a total shutdown would have been "economically dangerous," but many businesses have paused operations anyway and forecasts say the economy will contract this year and perhaps grow just over one percent in 2021.

Operationally, Sweden is pursuing many measures that are similar to those in other countries, and, as such, life there is far from normal. The conservative media here do not focus on the cultural differences between Sweden and America and the virus does not seem to care either way -- it's just an opportunist. Don't focus on the pictures of Swedes in cafes. The numbers are the numbers and we can all decide for ourselves whether Sweden's approach (absent a treatment or vaccine) carries a price that, on balance, we would all be willing to pay.

Keith Peterson, of Lake Barrington, served 29 years as a press and cultural officer for the United States Information Agency and Department of State. He was chief editorial writer of the Daily Herald 1984-86.

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Fighting the virus with personal freedom in socialist Sweden - Chicago Daily Herald