PA Online Casino End-of-Year Roundup: Live Dealer Games, Slots, Bonus Offers and More – Play Pennsylvania

Its been a year of growth for online casinos in Pennsylvania.

With the recent addition of BetMGM, there are now 13 online casinosin the commonwealth. The much-anticipated arrival of live dealer also occurred in the fall of 2020, much to the delight of players.

Operators regularly add games to their iGaming roster, and it can be a lot to sort through, so we highlight it for you here. If you are 21+ and physically located in PA, you can play slots, blackjack, video poker and roulette at home on your computer or mobile device. Pennsylvania is only one of four states with legal online casinos.

In a roundup of some of PlayPennsylvanias favorite iGaming sites, we break down:

New member sign-up bonus: To welcome new users, BetMGM is offering $25 in free play and a 100% deposit match, up to $1,000. It is also having a party to celebrate its arrival.

Reward Program: BetMGMs online casino is integrated with MGM Resorts M life Rewards program. There are five M life Reward Tiers. Rewards can be used at MGM resort properties nationwide, including the Borgata in Atlantic City.

Slots: 120 slot titles

Jackpot slots: MGM Grand Millions, Loot Em Khamun & The Dead Sea Scrolls, Melon Madness Deluxe, Book of Myths, Mercy of the Gods, Divine Fortune

Table and card games: Two types of blackjack, eight types of roulette, Baccarat Jacks or Better, Let It Ride

Video Poker: Game King Poker

Live Dealer:

$25 Free with No Deposit

100% Deposit Match up to $1,000

Use Bonus Code: PLAYNJFREE

New member sign-up bonus: First deposit bonus matched 100%, up to $250.

Reward program: Earn both iRush Rewards loyalty level points and bonus store points on every wager.

Slots: 176 slot titles

New slots: Bonanza Blast, Respin Rhino, Disco Danny, Double Bullseye Jackpot, Hercules High & Mighty, Mighty Black Knight, High Voltage Blackout, Ninja Gold, Treasures of the Pyramid, Lightning Horseman, Wild, Wild Gems, River Dragons, Sapphire Spin, Cash Noire, The Wolfs Bane, Rise of the Mountain King, Gorilla Kingdom, Oceans Treasure, Double Lotus, Pillars of Asgard, Blue Ribbon, Lobstermania 2

Progressive slots:

Table and card games: Two types of blackjack (min. $0.10), five types of roulette (min. $0.10), baccarat (min. $1)

Video Poker: Game King Poker

Live Dealer:

Top 5 most popular game titles in the past 30 days: Fortune Coin, Gonzos Quest Megaways, Cash Volt, Cleopatra, Rakin Bacon.

New member sign-up bonus: Risk-free 24 hours where all casino losses are covered up to $200.

Slots: 121 slot titles

New slots: Triple Red Hot 7s Free Games, Reel Steal, Rise of the Mountain King, The Big Easy, Oceans Treasure, Jack and the Beanstalk

Holiday titles: Fruit Shop Christmas Edition, Jingle Spin, Seasons 7s, DraftKings Christmas Blackjack, DraftKings Lunar New Year Blackjack

Table and card games: Players Suite Blackjack (min $1.00, max $5,000), 12 types of themed blackjack, baccarat (min. $1), Casino War (min. $0.10/max $600), Jacks or Better Double Up (min. $0.25/max. $125), Let It Ride (min .30/max. $400)

Video poker: Game King Video Poker (min $0.20)

Live Dealer:

New member sign-up bonus: 100% back on losses (up to $200 in site credit) during the first 24 hours of play.

Slots: 34 slot titles

Progressive slots:

Table and card games: Two types of blackjack (min. $0.10), three types of roulette (min. $0.10), baccarat

Video poker: Game King Video Poker (min. $0.10)

Live dealer:

New member sign-up bonus: Receive a first deposit match bonus, up to $500. Also, get $25 just for signing up.

Reward program: mychoice Rewards

Slots: 133 slot titles

Progressive slots:

Featured slot titles: Hotline 2, Zeus, Zeus God of Thunder, Zeus III, Dancing Drums, Monopoly Mega Movers, Wheel of Fortune Extreme Spin, $10,500 Cash Machine, 88 Fortunes. Hollywoods popular slot game Halloween Jack recently produced a $537K jackpot winner.

Holiday titles: Jingle Spin, Seasons 7

Table game and card games: Two types of blackjack, American roulette, baccarat, Let It Ride, Jacks or Better Double Up

Video poker: Game King Video Poker

Live Dealer:

PokerStars PA is currently the only online poker room in Pennsylvania. Players in PA can also enjoy online casino games from PokerStars.

New member sign-up bonus: The PokerStars casino welcome bundle includes a 100% match deposit bonus up to $1,500 over the first three deposits, and up to $1,000 in slot bonuses through two mystery chests.

Slots: 82 slot titles

Exclusive slots: Lion Storm, Frog of Fortune, Stars Classic, Cobra Cash, Flamin Elle, The Imperial Kitchen

Progressive slots:

Table and card games: Atlantic City Premium Blackjack, Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus, European roulette, American roulette, Joker Poker, Triple Bonus, Baccarat, Tens or Better, Aces or Eights, Double Bonus, All-American

New member sign-up bonus: $10 free plus 100% first deposit match up to $500.

Slots: 135 slot titles

New slots: Monopoly Mega Movers, Volts and Bolts, Trollpot 5000, Starmania, Mad Mad Monkey, Mighty Black Knight, Montezuma, Pillars of Asgard, Bruce Lee, Disco Danny, Hotline 2, Kronos Unleashed

Progressive slots: Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods, Jackpot Shores

Table and card games: Blackjack, Philadelphia Eagles blackjack, American roulette, European roulette (plus Diamond Series Exclusive), French roulette, Roulette Advanced, baccarat, Let It Ride (new), video poker (Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Game King Video Poker, Deuces and Jokers Wild, Jacks or Better Double Up)

Live dealer: Blackjack, roulette

New member sign-up bonus: 100% first deposit match up to $500.

Slots: 22 slot titles

New slots: Astro Cat, Respin Rhino, Fu Dao Le

Table and card games: Blackjack, American roulette, Casino War, Let It Ride, four-card poker

Live Dealer:

Other Pennsylvania online casinos include:

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PA Online Casino End-of-Year Roundup: Live Dealer Games, Slots, Bonus Offers and More - Play Pennsylvania

PointsBet Online and Mobile Sports Betting Now Widely Available in Iowa via Remote Registration – Southernminn.com

BURLINGTON, Iowa, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --PointsBet, a premier global sportsbook operator, recently announced that its best-in-class mobile app (iOS and Android) and digital sports betting product is now conveniently available from anywhere in the state of Iowa with remote registration now live as of January 1, 2021.

New users can experience PointsBet while taking advantage of their $1,000 risk-free betting bundle offer up to $500 back should you lose your first fixed odds bet, and up to $500 back should you lose your first PointsBetting wager. PointsBet will also launch select new customer promotions in the coming weeks around the Hawkeyes and star player Luka Garza.

"The state of Iowa continues to be a great priority for the PointsBet team, and we are fortunate to work alongside terrific partners in Catfish Bend Casino," noted Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO. "We both are tremendously excited for what is effectively a second launch of Iowa sports betting with remote registration now in play. The PointsBet mobile app and digital sports betting product is extremely fast and easy to use, features exclusive product features and betting options, offers the most bet types in the world across the four major U.S. sports, and perhaps most importantly, is specifically tailored for the local sports fan. We believe the great folks in the Hawkeye State will love what PointsBet has to offer and certainly look forward to the interest and feedback to come."

As a sports betting operator in the rare position of owning and controlling its technology end to end, PointsBet's proprietary technology behind-the-scenes, commitment to in-house development and bettor-friendly approach powers everything from exclusive product features, to bet types that cannot be found anywhere else, to the fastest response time in the industry, to deep Spanish language functionality, and so much more.

In addition to standard fixed odds wagering, PointsBet is the only U.S. online operator to offer PointsBetting a unique and innovative way to bet that exponentially rewards or docks players the more correct or incorrect their wagers are. PointsBet also offers the most bet types in the world across all four major U.S. sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) on a quick and easy to use platform that is personalized for the Iowa sports fan.

PointsBet originally entered the Hawkeye State in August 2019 alongside partner Catfish Bend Casino, located in Burlington, IA. The "PointsBet Sportsbook at Catfish Bend Casino," a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment center, marked PointsBet's first retail sportsbook in the country. The 5,600 square foot non-smoking sportsbook includes over 35 televisions with eight having regular odds displays, 26 slot machines, 13 video poker games, multiple blackjack tables, several betting kiosks and a massive 163" inch television for all special events.

"The Catfish Bend Casino team has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside PointsBet thus far, and the best is yet to come," stated Rob Higgins, General Manager at Burlington's Catfish Bend Casino. "We've received terrific response from Iowan sports bettors thus far, confirming the superior speed of the PointsBet app and the excitement that follows from being offered roughly 80% more wagering options versus the competition. The unique PointsBetting platform is an added plus and an experience that we are excited to offer to all Iowan sports bettors now more easily. Be sure to check out PointsBet, you won't be disappointed!"

As the official, exclusive sports betting partner of NBC Sports, PointsBet will utilize the media giant's premium television and digital assets to promote the PointsBet brand. As part of the agreement, NBC Sports provides PointsBet with year-round, multi-platform media and marketing opportunities across its unmatched portfolio of events, including exclusive multiplatform gameday integrations across NBC Sports Regional Networks, such as NBC Sports Chicago regional broadcast home to the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox. PointsBet's full Spanish-language functionality will reach Hispanic sports fans via Telemundo Deportes and Telemundo broadcast stations.

About PointsBetPointsBet is one of the fastest growing sportsbooks in the country and is rapidly expanding its U.S. footprint, currently bringing its best-in-class proprietary technology, modernized and premium brand mentality, expert trading practices, and proven growth marketing strategies to the burgeoning sports betting markets of Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and New Jersey. Originally founded in Australia, PointsBet is a cutting-edge bookmaker that prides itself on having the quickest and most user-friendly app (iOS and Android) while also providing the best content and experience for sports bettors. PointsBet is the only U.S. online bookmaker to offer PointsBetting a unique and innovative way to bet and has also introduced a slew of well-received, bettor-first initiatives, including: Good Karma Payouts, which provides bettors relief in the event of unlikely circumstances that sway the fate of the game, and Early Payouts. PointsBet offers the most markets on all four major U.S. sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) and PointsBetting in the world. For more information, visit http://www.PointsBet.com.

About Catfish Bend CasinoCatfish Bend Casino entertains casino players from across the Midwest offering over 600 state-of-the-art slot machines, fast-paced table games including Craps, BlackJack, iRoulette, and exciting, engaging promotions. Current casino offers and hotel booking information is available at http://www.thepzazz.com.

Media ContactPatrick EichnerDirector of Communications, PointsBet(908) 723-4341patrick.eichner@pointsbet.com

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PointsBet Online and Mobile Sports Betting Now Widely Available in Iowa via Remote Registration - Southernminn.com

New year welcomed with torchlight parade, fireworks – The Daily Globe – Your Daily Globe.com

By TOM LAVENTURE

[emailprotected]

Wakefield TOWNSHIP The annual New Years Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks display on Thursday at Blackjack Mountain ski resort attracted hundreds of vacationing skiers and area residents to welcome 2021 or perhaps just to put 2020 behind them.

Pete and Jackie Cannon, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, said they are annual visitors to the area resorts and come to Indianhead often.

Its the snow and this is a good time of year to come between Christmas and New Years, Jackie Cannon said.

The couple watched the torchlight parade and fireworks from the upper deck of the Blackjack lodge. They commented that it was a wonderful way to spend New Years Eve.

I think its a great thing, Pete Cannon said. It brings the community together.

Dave Suchanek and Grayson Savoie came all the way from Los Angeles to ski the Upper Peninsula and attended the New Years Eve events while staying at the Indianhead Lodge. Suchanek was raised near Ann Arbor and his parents now live in Escanaba, but it was the first time for both of them to ski the western U.P.

Im kind of a beginner to skiing, Savoie said. Ive done skiing in California, which kind of has pretty tall mountains, and we thought it would be better to learn here on kind of smaller hills and mountains and so its a good place to learn.

Another reason for the trip was to spend the holidays outside of L.A., where the COVID-19 restrictions of a large metropolitan area can weigh more heavily than the open spaces of a remote ski resort.

We were staying up here and wanted to do some skiing and we heard about the big snow country, Suchanek said.

The two noticed that fellow skiers were practicing COVID-19 prevention and wearing masks but it didnt feel invasive for skiing which has a natural social distancing, he said. Having just arrived on Thursday the two spent their time exploring the Indianhead resort.

Its low key and charming in the best way, Suchanek said. It kind of feels like youre in the middle of nowhere but its got a cool charm to it.

The New Years Eve announcement was in the lodge and the two watched the torchlight parade and the fireworks from the upper deck of the Blackjack lodge.

There were changes this year to make the event more compliant with pandemic rules and the crowd was dispersed along a snow fence or on the upper deck of the main lodge. People were not allowed to observe from inside the lodge.

This years torchlight parade was named in honor of Mary Jendrusina, a former director of the volunteer ski patrol who passed away in December, said Misty Vander Wolde, events coordinator for Big Snow Resort, which included Indianhead Mountain and Blackjack Mountain resorts. The torchlight skiers lit their torches from one torch signifying Jendrusina, and left a single torch on the top of the mountain for the flame to go out on its own.

When someone on the hill passes away that is the tradition, Vander Wolde said of the volunteers and employees of the resort.

The torchlight parade was held at 6 p.m., where it normally would have been held at 10 p.m., she said. The fireworks followed immediately after the torchlight parade where they are usually set off at midnight.

Normally we would have live music and the lodge would be open all night until 2 a.m., Vander Wolde said. Normally we wouldnt be done this early but it is still a really fun night.

Lisa Trousil of Green Bay, said her family plans for skiing outings at the resorts around northern Wisconsin and the U.P. at this time every year. This was their first trip to Big Snow Resort and they also attended the New Years Eve events.

We came to the U.P. for some variety and something to do, Trousil said.

Her daughter, Alexis Trousil, said she enjoyed skiing the hills on Thursday. She plans to spend the weekend learning to use her new snowboard.

We only ski a couple of times a year but I just started snowboarding and so thats also fun, she said. I skied today but I want to snowboard tomorrow.

Area ski resort managers are optimistic that more regional skiers will stay closer to home this season and help boost the struggling pandemic economy in the new year. The recent snow has helped but time will tell if the busy start of the season will continue past the holidays.

All the ski hills and cross country ski trails are open with adjustments to operations that discourage crowds and lines. Area cross country ski events were canceled or have gone virtual such as the Sisu Ski Fest that starts Jan. 4.

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New year welcomed with torchlight parade, fireworks - The Daily Globe - Your Daily Globe.com

Neighbours Spoilers Shane is shot as Hendrix’s gambling problem spirals – Back to the Bay

On next weeks Neighbours in Australia, Hendrix is in serious trouble and resorts to extreme measures to protect himself. Yet his plan backfires, quite literally, as Shane ends up getting shot.

These episodes air in Australia from Monday 11th January, and in the UK four weeks later from Monday 8th February.

In episodes airing this coming week in Australia, Hendrix (Benny Turland) loses Number 24 to criminal Kane after yet another blackjack bet gone wrong. He was simply trying to win enough to reduce his debt, and when he gets the chance to split his hand and ends up with 18 and 19 (two fairly strong hands, for the blackjack uninitiated), Kane offers him a deal.

If Hendrix wins this hand, his debt is wiped in its entirety but if he loses the hand, Kane gets Number 24. In an idiotic move that puts two Ramsay Street residents life in danger, he agrees to the bet. Moments later, as Kane deals the cards, he loses.

Of course, the major problem is that he doesnt even own the house Pierce signed it over to Chloe shortly before leaving and now Hendrix is in serious trouble.

Next week, owing Kane thousands of pounds, and a house, and with his previous death threat still fresh in his mind, Hendrix is terrified and fearing for his life. He figures he needs to protect himself from Kane, and in a moment of madness he steals a gun from another of the blackjack players.

He confides in Jay Rebecchi (Dhruv Malge), who freaks out about what Hendrix has done. He understands that Hendrix is in trouble, but knows a gun certainly isnt the way to solve things, and could land Hendrix with some serious time behind bars if he ever came to use it.

Managing to talk him out of using it, their next problem is how to dispose of it. Just as theyre discussing things at the Kennedy house, Bea and Levi arrive home. Thinking on his feet, Jay quickly heads to the garden and stashes the gun in Karl and Susans pizza oven.

Of course, pizza is just what Bea and Levi fancy for dinner! As the boys try to convince them to get a Thai takeaway instead, Bea heads to the garden and turns on the oven!

A few minutes later, the heat of the oven causes the gun to discharge, causing an explosion and a bullet to fly through the air. It hits Shane in the thigh, and he needs to be rushed straight to surgery. As if poor Shane hadnt had a hard enough time the last few months.

Thankfully Shanes injuries dont turn out to be life threatening, but the scare seriously shakes Jay up. He keeps making screw up after screw up, and this one could have cost his dad his life. He wants to turn things around, so decides to confess everything about the blackjack games to Shane and Dipi.

When the two parents discover what Jay has done, Shane realises he has no choice but to put his family first.Unfortunately for Amy Greenwood (Jacinta Stapleton), Shanes accident has left her on the outside. His whole family have rallied around him, including Dipi, and suddenly shes all but forgotten about.

At the tail end of next week, she makes a misjudged attempt to offer her support. She gives Jay some advice about facing his mistakes, but when Dipi finds out that her husbands new lover is giving her son advice, she isnt best pleased.

The troubles for Hendrix dont end there. He confesses everything to the police, as well as to Harlow. Understandably,shes livid at what her boyfriend has done. Shes torn, as she really loves Hendrix and wants to support him, but its far from the first misstep hes made, and this one is pretty hard to forgive.

She had no idea about his gambling, let alone about how much danger hes found himself in.

Shes so overwhelmed by the bombshell that she doesnt notice the danger lurking around the corner. As shes out walking alone, a white van pulls up behind her. Before she can even react, shes grabbed by a masked figure and pulled into the van.

Eventually, Yashvi manages to track down Kane but theres no sign of Harlow, and Paul and Terese are getting increasingly worried that Kane has something to do with her disappearance. Will Yashvi manage to get the truth out of him before its too late?

Monday 11th January (Episode 8533)

Des and Sheila stage a fake relationship to try and uncover the truth about Clives feelings for Jane.

Fearing for his life, Hendrix steals a gun from one of the blackjack players, with a petrified Jay hiding it in the Kennedys pizza oven.

Shane and Amy try their best to date without offending Dipi, but when Ned reveals his concerns for Jay, Shane puts his family first.

Tuesday 12th January (Episode 8534)

After the sudden explosion, its revealed that the bullet shot through Shanes leg and when Jay confesses, Shane and Dipi are unsure about who their son has become.

Amy is thrown to find out about Shanes injury but finds herself on the outer as his family rally around him.

Hendrix comes clean to Harlow, Chloe and the police.

Wednesday 13th January (Episode 8535)

Nicolette is paying the price for getting involved with Kanes illegal activities, leaving Aaron and David frustrated by her lack of judgement.

Hendrix frets for Harlow, who hasnt been seen or heard from by anyone all morning.

Thursday 14th January (Episode 8536)

Kyle learns that the judge for the Best Dish of Erinsborough has been poisoned, soon realising that Roxy picked death cap mushrooms for his dish.

Paul and Hendrix butt heads as Nicolette decides to talk to the blackjack gamers to see if anyone knows anything about Kane and Harlow.

Friday 15th January (Episode 8537)

Sheila feels terrible for her part in the breakdown of Dess friendships with Jane and Clive.

Dipi withdraws her nomination for Best Dish of Erinsborough when she learns that Kyles dish is a tribute to Gary.

In an attempt to offer her support, Amy gives Jay advice about facing his mistakes, which backfires when Dipi finds out about the conversation.

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Neighbours Spoilers Shane is shot as Hendrix's gambling problem spirals - Back to the Bay

Celebrities Who Have Racked Up Casino Wins – – VENTS Magazine

Its a well-known fact that a lot of celebrities like to gamble, but some do it better than others. On the list of the worlds top gambling winners and losers, we find celebrities from around the world known for their success in Hollywood, sports, music, politics and more. We tend to hold celebrities in high esteem, but they enjoy the same things in their ordinary life as most of us, including playing a game of poker. The only thing that makes them different from us is that they can afford to gamble with much higher stakes than the rest of us. Thats why some of them end up on the list of the worlds biggest gambling winners, or losers. Lets take a look at some of the celebrities who seem to have a special talent for gambling.

Jennifer Tilly happens to be a special case amongst Hollywood celebrities because she considered becoming a professional gambler as a serious career at one time. She has had a passion for poker for a very long time and has been involved in many tournaments landing around $900,000 in poker tournament winnings. Being the movie star she is, Tilly has been involved in many poker TV shows like GSNs Poker Royale and Bravos Celebrity Poker Showdown.

In 2005, Tilly participated in the World Series of Poker Ladies No-Limit Texas HoldEm competition, where she won the championship and took home $158,625 but Tilly is not the only celebrity woman in the World Series of Poker. Moroccan born Sarah Shafik (also spelled Chafak) won the title Miss Finland in 2012 but its the story of how she pulled off a bluff against WSP record-holder Ronnie Barda during the 2014 World Series of Poker that has made her a celebrity in the Poker Industry as one of the most successful Arabic casino and poker players of all times.

Ben Affleck is a well known Hollywood star, writer, and director, known for his role in many widely acclaimed blockbuster movies for many years now. Ben Affleck is not only good at movies, but he is also a proficient card-based casino game player, especially Poker and Blackjack. In 2004, Affleck participated in California State Championship, where he showed his prowess at the Poker Table and emerged as the winner. He walked away from the table as the champion and took home over $300,000. In 2014, Affleck also went on a winning streak playing Blackjack at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. It was reported that after playing two sessions of Blackjack, Affleck had already raked in about $1 million, which prompted the casinos management to politely ask him to leave the table. Ben Affleck was even busted for participating in an underground Poker ring along with Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, and other big Hollywood celebrities.

The famous movie star Matt Damon was said to have found a love for casino games when he researched and prepared for his role in Rounders. In Rounders, Matt Damon played the role of a law student that also dabbles in Poker games. Obviously, Damons research into the Poker game wasnt purely only for his role, but he became quite captivated with the famously appealing game. Damon and Ben Affleck are close friends, with the pair being seen at the grandest blackjack tables across different casinos. It was also reported that Damon was also involved in the Hard Rock Casino fiasco, where Ben Affleck raked in over a million dollars. Damon was also involved in the underground poker ring of 2011.

Toby Maguire is a Hollywood actor that is famously known for his role, playing Spiderman. Maguire has been known to be involved in the casino scene with an affinity for poker games. In 2011, Maguire was also involved in the underground poker ring that included other celebrities and businessmen. During the investigation of this case, it was revealed that Maguire won somewhere between $30 and $40 million during this poker game. It means that Maguire may very well be one of the highest poker game winners of all time. The underground poker ring incident even inspired a 2017 movie titled Mollys Game.

Derren Brown, the world-famous master magician with regular television shows that dazzles audiences with feats of amazing `tricks and illusions, also dabbles in the casino scene. Even before his career as a magician kicked off, Derren was already well known at Blackjack tables. Many casinos dont like when players win constantly, and even though Derren stakes small bets, it is said Derren is so good that he has never lost a hand, and he wins big. This led to Derren getting banned from many British casinos.

I can only mention a few, but many more celebrities occasionally or regularly grace casino halls to play their favorite casino games and have had pleasant experiences. Some of the other celebrities you might come across at a Poker game or Blackjack table include Paris Hilton, Dana White, Vitoria Coren Mitchel, etc. There are many celebrities that may not be the biggest fans of casino games but are very enthusiastic about sports betting. Some celebrities that are avid sports betting enthusiasts include Floyd Mayweather, Jr (the American boxer and businessman), Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and many more.

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Celebrities Who Have Racked Up Casino Wins - - VENTS Magazine

Ascension Seton to offer COVID-19 vaccines to high-risk staff in Round Rock ISD – KXAN.com

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Ascension Seton to offer COVID-19 vaccines to high-risk staff in Round Rock ISD - KXAN.com

Ascension to legislative leadership is bittersweet for Talbot Ross – Press Herald

AUGUSTA Portraits of white men from Maines past stare out at all who pass through the halls of the State House. Not a single person of color or woman appears on any of the canvases that hang outside the House and Senate chambers.

The irony was not lost on Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, as a newspaper photographer shot her portrait near the gilded-framed paintings during a recent interview at the Capitol building.

In every room, theres no place for me to see the contributions of my ancestors, of my people in this building, and yet Maine benefited from the global slave trade, Talbot Ross said. The profits from enslavement helped build this state and thereby this institution.

The Portland Democrat has secured her own place in Maines 200-year history by becoming the first Black person elected by her colleagues to a leadership post in the Legislature. In November, she was unanimously chosen by Democrats in the House to be their assistant majority leader.

The role, known as the whip, makes Talbot Ross the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the chamber, behind Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford and Majority Leader Michelle Dunphy of Old Town.

Talbot Ross ascension to the post comes at what many hope will be a pivotal moment in U.S. history, as a rekindled movement for racial justice and equity takes root across the nation in the aftermath of protests over the unjustified police shootings of Black people.

For Talbot Ross, a ninth-generation Mainer, the moment is a personal milestone that brings mixed emotions.

While I am humbled and feel privileged every day every day, she said, Im also ashamed and angry and frustrated that we have not come any further in the 21st century. Its something I have to try hard every day to reconcile.

Elected in November to her third consecutive two-year term, Talbot Ross has served on the Legislatures Judiciary and Health and Human Services committees. Legislation she authored in 2019 led to the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Population. She now chairs that 15-member commission, which in July issued a list of recommendations and proposed legislation aimed at ending systemic racism in Maine.

Talbot Ross has also been involved in the work of the NAACP in Maine, including serving as president of the now disbanded Portland branch. She said she remains active with the two other Maine branches of the NAACP, at the Maine State Prison and in Bangor, and has sponsored bills in cooperation with members of those branches.

Talbot Ross declined to give her age or marital status. According to a brief member profile published on the House website, she is single and has one child.

In many ways Talbot Ross is following in the footsteps of her father, Gerald Talbot, who became the first Black person to be elected to the Maine Legislature in 1972. Unlike his daughter, he was not tapped for a leadership position in the 186-member Legislature, which has never seen more than two Black lawmakers serving at the same time.

Gerald Talbot, 89, said he is tremendously proud of his daughters accomplishment, and while she occasionally asks his advice, he encourages her to make her own decisions and use her own judgment.

I try not to get in where Im the boss, he said. Shes the boss and she knows what she is doing.

He described the movement for racial equity and justice as a slow but steady struggle in Maine, just like elsewhere in the U.S. But little by little it gets better and better, he said.

Former state Rep. Craig Hickman, a Democrat from Winthrop, was the only Black lawmaker when Talbot Ross was first elected to the House in 2016. Hickman said he took inspiration from Gerald Talbots service in the Legislature and encouraged Talbot Ross to join him when she expressed reluctance to run.

Her determination has been to make life better for all Maine people, but especially her people, our people, Hickman said. That hasnt been really appreciated until now, and she is absolutely the right person and the best person to be the first Black person to serve in this leadership role.

Talbot Ross election to leadership is especially meaningful because it occurred in the 200th year of Maines statehood, said Hickman, who recently became the Democratic nominee in a March special election for state Senate District 14.

In 1820 Maine joined the Union as part of the Missouri Compromise, well before the Civil War and the end to slavery in the U.S. In the compromise Maine was granted statehood as a free state and Missouri as a slave state.

During her time in the Legislature, Talbot Ross has been a champion for criminal justice and other reforms, including legislation that would restore sovereign rights to tribal populations.

As assistant majority leader, she may have to set aside her own agenda for the priorities of the Democratic caucus and the partys legislative leaders, or to support important bills that rise from rank-and-file members. Talbot Ross said her focus is on the immediate future and on building caucus cohesion among her Democratic peers.

I dont see it as separate, Talbot Ross said of her own legislative work. I see it as our work (that) needs to be done. I include the things that Im interested in moving forward in our work.

Her new position has also proven to be a springboard to higher office, at least for her immediate predecessors. Fecteau, the new speaker of the House, served in the role from 2018 to 2020. And 2nd District U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Lewiston Democrat, held the post before Fecteau.

The election of Kamala Harris as the first Black woman to serve as vice president is an important milestone in the struggle for racial equity, but that so many Americans didnt vote for Harris both in Maine and nationally is telling as well, Talbot Ross said.

These arent glass ceilings we are breaking through these are concrete walls and ceilings, she said. So if you understand that metaphor, then you can understand that while one has broken through that similar to finding me in leadership breaking through that has taken centuries. And while one person has cracked through, or broken through, that does not absolve all of the responsibility to widen that pathway to bring others with you and there is enormous responsibility in that.

Talbot Ross said the Black Lives Matter movement that swept the nation last spring and summer, inspiring protests and resistance in Portland and other Maine cities, was a time when many more white people were accepting the truth that we had lived with for generations.

I just remember that I was grieving, and Im still in a period of grief because this never stops, Talbot Ross said. We have got a whole group of people who are in a generation of transference of grief and trauma and I think that weve been patient for your awakening. But I also think that brings a sense of hope and certainly opportunity.

Its work thats far from finished, said state Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos, an independent from Friendship. Evangelos, who has served on the Judiciary Committee with Talbot Ross, calls her a key ally in a struggle against racism that gained vigor in the 1960s but was derailed by the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Kennedys younger brother Robert Kennedy.

We have regressed badly since 1968, Evangelos said. We have a lot of prejudice to overcome in Maine still.

He pointed to recent forms of racial disparity, that Blacks make up just 1.5 percent of the states population but account for 12 percent of those incarcerated in the Maine State Prison, and that the states Black communities experience COVID-19 infection at a rate 20 times higher than those of white residents.

Evangelos said Talbot Ross has a broad vision of justice and has been a leader in her work to bring greater equity to people of all races, including impoverished whites who struggle to gain a foothold and better themselves.

When Talbot Ross and her colleagues return for this years legislative session, the rows of white male portraits will still gaze down from the State House walls, even as incremental change happens in the battle for racial equity.

But theres also one area where a different Maine vision is on display. In the State House Welcome Center closed to the public because of COVID-19 restrictions but still open to legislators and staff the walls are hung with a series of paintings by Ashley Bryan.

Bryan, a World War II veteran who landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day, is a celebrated Black writer and artist. He retired to Cranberry Island off Maines coast after a career as a professor of art at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Talbot Ross asked a newspaper photographer to take her picture near the exhibit, to allow more people to see his beautiful artistry and to include Bryan, now 97, in her story as she makes history in a space dominated by white men.

Because there is some affirmation for me in that work, she said of Bryans art. And having that in this building starts to interrupt that space.

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Santa Rosa County, Ascension to administer thousands of COVID-19 vaccines this week – WKRG News 5

MILTON, Fla. (WKRG) The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be able this week for those 65 years and older in Santa Rosa County.

At a press conference Monday, health and emergency management officials announced the Santa Rosa County Health Department will start administering vaccines to those 65 and older starting Tuesday.

Appointments will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The health department has an vaccine allotment able to vaccinate 2,800 residents.

You can call 850-983-4636 to schedule your appointment.

In addition, 1,000 vaccines will be able for those 65 and older at the Milton Community Center, 5629 Byrom St., on Wednesday. Another 1,000 vaccines will be available at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.

Officials described these events as mass vaccinations.

These vaccinations will be administered Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by health officials with Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital.

You can register for these vaccinations here.

Officials emphasized that residents must register for an appointment in all cases.

Those who receive the vaccine must receive the second COVID-19 vaccination 28 days after their appointment.

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Santa Rosa County, Ascension to administer thousands of COVID-19 vaccines this week - WKRG News 5

Ascension St. Marys preparing to open new Emergency Care Center to public – MLive.com

SAGINAW, MI - Ascension St. Marys Hospital of Saginaw announced that it is planning to open the doors to its brand new Emergency Care Center addition at its 800 S. Washington Ave. location in early January.

The new addition is a part of a six-phase $17.6 million expansion, which began after Ascension St. Marys broke ground on the project in fall 2019. The entire project is on track to be completed in fall of 2021.

MLive - The Saginaw News previously reported that the first phase of project required the relocation of St. Marys dialysis unit from the emergency department area. Those services are now provided in a dedicated dialysis area.

Phase two was recently completed, which included the the construction of a 12,600-square feet addition, renovating existing space, infrastructure improvements for electrical, heating, ventilation and information technology systems, and improving access for ambulances and the public. The newly constructed addition provides patients with an airport style drop-off/pick up and continuous drop-off canopy for inclement weather.

As part of the planning work, we identified that a new emergency entry for ambulances and the public was a top priority. Significant excavation and construction to reduce the gradient to the Emergency Department has taken place to create a safer entryway for ambulances and our community, said Stephanie Duggan, MD, Regional President, Ascension St. Marys.

The enhancements will transform the facility into a level II trauma care center with 24 exam/treatment rooms and two trauma rooms, according to Ascension, and boost the hospitals ability to provide stroke care as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Individuals coming to the new Emergency Care Center will also find a new registration and triage area which will improve patient flow and increase capacity and efficiency and a larger waiting area, according to Ascension. Ambulances will also have a new multiple parking bays to utilize.

We are very excited and looking forward to opening the new addition and ambulance bays, said Duggan.

The next phases of the project will involve renovating the existing emergency department space to create new, larger exam rooms and trauma suites. The work will continue to be staged so there is no disruption of services, according to Ascension. Emergency and trauma care will continue to be provided through the existing emergency care in downtown Saginaw and at Ascension St. Marys freestanding emergency care center located in Saginaw Township, at 4599 Towne Centre Blvd., at the corner of Towne Centre and Schust. Both locations are open 24/7.

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Wellsville’s Church of the Ascension | News, Sports, Jobs – The Review – The Review

A two-story rectory on Main St. was built one year after the church, providing living space for Ascensions rector.

A $38,000 gift from an anonymous donor has paid for a new roof and professional painting inside and out, and ownership has been transferred to the Wellsville Historical Society,

Any visitor driving down Main Street will cast an admiring eye on this rare and charming expression of 19th century Carpenter Gothic architecture, never guessing how close it came to being lost.

The old church would have fallen in or been demolished years ago had it not been for the Friends of the Ascension Church, a nonprofit organization created in 1982 to undertake the major salvage and renovation necessary to save it, and which eventually assumed ownership from the Episcopal Diocese of Cleveland. The Friends group was founded and led by Wellsville native and former Columbiana County sheriff Robert Brass Beresford and his wife Bonny. Brassys mother, Anna Metsch Beresford, was a longtime member and he grew up in Ascension Church.

Jack Glover, Margaret Deeley and Betty Lowther Rager were among former parishioners and among last attendees who joined the Friends group. The community took the project to its heart.

Ascensions brick parish hall on 11thStreet was used as extra classroom space by the nearby Catholic school, and also was a meeting place for Boy Scouts. It and the rectory were demolished in November 2004.

It was in bad shape. The corner of the building on the right side (of the pulpit) was completely open, said Bonny. When I walked in there I said you guys are out of your minds. But she added, Every time we came to a stop, somebody always came along who knew what to do. We felt like we were being blessed.

THE BERESFORDS, with help from Jack Glover and others, remained caretakers over two decades after the 1980s renovation. The church was used on an occasional basis for meetings, weddings, community Christmas celebrations and Garfield school programs. Sharon and Bob French were married there on the hottest day of June 1994. Tiffanie Hartman, a granddaughter of the Beresfords, was married to Kevin Grimm there in 1998. Kevin was a U.S. Marine; he and an honor guard of comrades were in full dress uniform, Bonny recalls.

Friends group members have fallen away with age and the church has rarely been used in the past decade. Only three trustees remained Brass, Bonny and Ruth Weekley when ownership was transferred two years ago to the Wellsville Historical Society, an eventuality planned for by Brassy. Former Common Pleas Court Judge David Tobin provided the legal work at the request of Peter Russell, a former Wellsville banker. Brassy passed away in 2019 at age 93. Ruth Weekley died in June 2020; she was 94.

In 2017-18, the church was again in need of upkeep. An anonymous donor stepped forward, giving $38,000 to put on a new roof with historically correct shingles and to repaint the church interior and exterior.

Thus the physical existence of the Ascension Church is secure into the foreseeable future. The building has electrical service for lighting, but no heating or plumbing systems, limiting its use as a community meeting place. Those involved are open to suggestions and offers of help.

Noted local artist Hans Hacker was commissioned to paint this picture of Ascension Church, which hangs in the museum of the Wellsville Historical Society. The original steeple shown was later removed.

IT WAS IN 1870, a full century and a half ago, that Ascension Church was built, providing a parish home for a fledging Episcopalian congregation.

For some time prior to September 1863 a few church men and women had been meeting in a hall over Wm. C. Brights drug store on East Main Street . . . for an occasional service as they could secure the services of a clergyman. A Sunday school was formed and conducted by Mr. and Mrs. E.H. Ayer which was attended by a large number of children, according to a 1950 church history.

On Aug. 21, 1863, 28 adults signed their names to a draft resolution of formation, giving the name Parish of the Church of the Ascension, and adopting the constitution and canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church USA.

Following publication of their intentions in The Wellsville Union newspaper, members met on Sept. 6 and formally organized the parish. On Sept. 19 a Rev. Mr. Lee, who now and then had led services there, was called to be its first rector.

WELLSVILLE WAS A RAILROAD town then, site of the maintenance shops of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad. Creation of Ascension Church was a direct consequence of railroad men of Episcopalian heritage locating with their families in Wellsville in the early 1860s.

This photo of an Ascension Church picnic from the 1940s includes members of the Glover, Hands, Kerr and Lowther families. Brass Beresfords mother, Anna Pearl Metsch Beresford, is second from the left in the back row, wearing a hat.

Mr. John Thomas, superintendent of the C&P Railroad, was senior warden of Ascension at the time the parish was legally incorporated at the county seat in Lisbon, April 1, 1870.

Of the total cost of $6,489.89 to build and furnish the church, $2,500 was raised through a grand excursion to Lake Erie including an outing on the steamer Northwest.

An entry in parish records dated Sept. 5, 1870, states: Wardens and Vestry sent thank you to manager of Cleveland & Pittsburgh RR for their generous action toward us in connection with the excursion train of June 23rd the profits of which have enabled us to complete our little church without the burden of debt. A thank-you was sent to Capt. J.E. Pierce and officers of the Northwest. A Pierce family shows up in parish records, perhaps a local connection to Capt. Pierce.

The second largest individual source of funding was $1,421 in subscriptions from church members.

Whomever did the accounting wanted to make sure that the contributions of railroad people were recognized, showing donations (separate from subscriptions) from citizens not connected to RR of $572, while donations connected with RR totaled $1,333.95.

This undated photo, dating from around the turn of the 19th century or before, shows Christmas decorations and a rector in his vestments standing at the pulpit. The pipe organ at left was donated by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. The large stained glass window shown was the original, created by William Nelson Manufacturing of Pittsburgh. That large window was blown out some years ago and never replaced, but whether it was still the original or a 1925 replacement is not known at this writing.

A BREAKDOWN OF building expenses includes $1,100 to buy the lots, $4,060 for construction of the building (contractor William Wood of Cleveland), $281 for furniture, $175 for carpeting, $110 for a stove and heating pipes, $59 for (oil?) lamps and globes, $53 for three years of fire insurance and $310 paid for stained glass Wm. Nelson Mfg. Pgh.

That points up a small mystery. Church history says the present stained glass windows were installed in 1925, and dedication names on the windows support that date. What, then, happened to the windows originally installed by William Nelson, early (1852-1892) Pittsburgh stained glass maker?

The centuries-old practice of selling, and later, renting, pews was quite common in Protestant churches as a method of raising funds for construction. By the mid-19th century the practice was falling into disfavor, yet the Ascension Church Vestry felt a need to put upon record their wish and resolve (that) the seats of the church shall be entirely free so that no man however poor shall feel himself excluded from Gods House.

(The pews are very low to the floor. Bonny Beresford thinks thats because people were generally smaller 150 years ago. Or perhaps it was to facilitate kneeling during services.)

The cornerstone was laid July 16, 1869, with items placed inside including current newspapers, a Book of Common Prayer, and a Bible.

Ascensions handsome wooden pews, pressed metal ceiling and 1925 stained glass windows are visible in this present day view from the pulpit area. (Photo by Fred Miller)

On the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, Sept. 29, 1870, the building was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. G.T. Bedell, Third Bishop of Ohio, the building being free from debt when completed. A two-story rectory was added on the adjacent lot a year later, making the parish more attractive to prospective rectors, and a brick parish house behind the church provided meeting space. Both were demolished in 2004.

THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE of the Church of the Ascension is a reminder that, like the Episcopal Church itself, its roots are English but its expression American.

After the Great London Fire of 1666, architect Christopher Wren turned to Italian and Greek styles for inspiration. He termed what had burned Gothic; a disparagement of the architectural style of cathedrals and other heavy stone buildings of the Middle Ages, equating them with the Germanic tribes (Goths, Visigoths, Vandals) that sacked Rome.

Architects in America followed the styles of Wren, including Greek Revival and what is now called Colonial or Georgian, but at length a reaction sent in and a Gothic revival ushered in new expressions. The abundance of timber in America, coupled with the introduction of steam-driven sawmills led to interpretations of Gothic style in wood instead of stone. Architects Alexander Jackson Davis and Andrew Jackson Downing published influential books of Gothic Revival building plans in the mid-1800s.

Ascension Church has the steep gabled roof, fancy scrollwork bargeboards (trim), pointed-arch windows and doors, and vertical board-and-batten wooden siding of classified as Vernacular Carpenter Gothic. Vernacular as opposed to high style is a reference to rural site and use of modest materials.

Preservation of its architectural significance gave Ascension Church status for placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, the application prepared by Jack Lanam of East Liverpool, a local historian and member of the Friends group.

ASCENSION CHURCH was always small compared to other area churches, but families were close-knit and the parish enjoyed good years in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th. Some 75 parishioners attended a celebration for their rector in 1915. A Womens Auxiliary, Daughters of the Auxiliary, Junior Auxiliary, and Little Helpers were popular steppingstone womens groups. A dozen men were guided to create a Mens Club.

Meticulous record books were kept in those years for memberships, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials, often including personal data such as parentage, sponsors, date of birth, and cause of death. Family names included Keay, Kerr, Mills, Bowers, Haslet, Hand, Deeley, Lower, Jobling, Rushton, Bailey, Andrews, Allcock, Furniss, Gardner, Jones, Jenkins, McKinnis, Starrett, Robinson, Pritchard, Morris and others.

The name Elizabeth DeTemple is one of the first to appear in the record books, but the reason was not a happy one. The churchs first baptism was on Aug. 28, 1865, for infant son Jacob Emmanuel DeTemple, and was followed by his burial three days later. Elizabeth and her husband Matthew DeTemple went on to have at least eight more children, and lived to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 1915. One of the 1925 stained glass windows in Ascension Church is dedicated to her.

(The second baptism listed was for George Edward DeTemple on Aug. 30, 1865, apparently a twin of Jacob. George survived infancy but died of typhoid fever at age 16, March 22, 1882.)

Other windows are dedicated to the memory of: Harry Jobling (there were two Harry Joblings, father and son); Grace and Charles Keay (Grace Keay, age 20, was buried Feb. 2, 1919, and a Charles Emerson Keay died Dec. 31, 1916, at age 16 months); and Levison Rushton, (died Nov. 5, 1920, age 15). Windows were dedicated to the Womens Auxiliary and the Sunday School. Church stalwart John Hands name was painted in after his death on a window. He died in 1947 at age 55.

The circular stained glass window high on the Main Street gable-end wall was dedicated to my beloved wife Elizabeth Thomas.

With the transfer of Ascension Church to the Wellsville Historical Society, its church record books and other documents will be preserved for genealogy and history researchers.

Entries in the record books became sparse beginning in the 1940s, with perhaps the last permanent rector a Rev. Gillette in 1946. Rectors from St. Stephens in East Liverpool kept an association with the Ascension congregation, including Rev. D.R. Salsberry Jr. in 1965 and Rev. Paul Heckters in 1976.

Notebooks of attendance records show 10 or 20 regularly came to church on Sundays in the 1960s. By 1974, that number had dwindled to five or six older members. Betty Rager and Jack Glover in a 1980s Review article stated there was no last Sunday. The church simply fizzled out.

THE WELLSVILLE HISTORICAL Society faces the same problem of an aging organization with fewer members and less money. President Bob Lloyd who with sardonic wit says, I woke up one morning and was told, You own a church' said Society trustees do not have the resources at present to do much with Ascension Church, but do accept responsibility for it, and will do the best they can.

There are developments, however, suggesting that help will be forthcoming from those who love Wellsville and its history, and that good news for the Church of the Ascension is in the offing.

Donations from families allowed them to memorialize loved ones in Ascensions 1925 stained glass side windows, including this one to Elizabeth DeTemple, who spent her adult life in the church and raised a large family. (Fred Miller photo)

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Wellsville's Church of the Ascension | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review - The Review

Ascension Partners with Ochsner to Offer Free COVID-19 Tests – The Advocate

Need a COVID-19 test?

Free testing continues at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, according to the Louisiana Health Department.

What should I expect before visiting a test site?

You'll need to wear a mask onsite and stay in your car before getting testing.

For those 13 years and older, expect the site to have a self-administered nasal swab test. This allows you to swab your own nose on site while in your vehicle. Once that's done, you'll drop the sealed sample into a container on your way out of the drive-thru site.

Is the test free?

There is no cost, and no identification is needed.

How old do I have to be to take the test?

You must be at least 3 years old to take the test.

How will I know when my test result is available?

Test results are available by calling (866) MYQUEST (1-866-697-8378), but keep in mind that wait times can take days. Test results are also available through the Quest online portal or app.

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COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics To Open Wednesday For Persons 65 And Older – NorthEscambia.com

Ascension Sacred Heart plans to open two community clinics on Wednesday in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County that will provide COVID-19 vaccinations to local residents who are age 65 and older.

Both clinics are being organized in coordination with the Florida Department of Health and officials from each county.

In Escambia County, the first series of clinics in January will take place in the gym of Olive Baptist Church at 1836 East Olive Road from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. In Santa Rosa County, the vaccination clinic will be located in the basketball gym of Milton Community Center at 5329 Byrom Street in Milton.

The vaccinations must be scheduled in advance:

Persons without an appointment will not be eligible to get the vaccine.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced a new executive order directing that the next priority group for vaccinations in Florida should be persons age 65 and older. The seniors group follows the first priority group, which is healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents and staff.

After receiving a supply of the Moderna vaccine, Ascension Sacred Heart recently began to vaccinate its hospital staff and healthcare personnel in the community. To support the Florida DOH as it develops a long-term, comprehensive approach to community vaccinations, Ascension Sacred Heart also will assist the state health department and collaborate with other community partners to deploy vaccines to other priority groups.

Because of the limited amount of vaccines available in the U.S., it will likely be months before the state is able to successfully vaccinate all the individuals in priority categories, according to Ascension Sacred Heart. There are almost five million people in Florida who are 65 and older.

Our hospitals are continuing to provide clinically excellent, safe, compassionate care for every patient and loved one whether for COVID-19 or for any other health condition and need, said Tom Van Osdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast.

At the same time, we are working hard to vaccinate our own hospital employees, physicians, community health care workers and those aged 65 and older throughout our communities, in accordance with Governor DeSantis executive order. We are blessed that we have the resources of our Ascension Medical Group to assist the two local counties in vaccinating and helping to protect our senior citizens and those most potentially at-risk against COVID-19.

Written by William Reynolds Filed Under FRONT TOP

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In the making for more than three years, Move Ascension program bears fruit for road work – The Advocate

Some time early this year, contractors are expected to start a combined $3.7 million in road construction, building the first Ascension Parish-funded roundabout in the parish's history and widening a notoriously narrow outlet for congested La. 73 traffic near Prairieville.

Meanwhile, the entirely new St. Landry-Ashland road connector near Gonzales, which is expected to be the final link in a long-awaited alternative route to Mississippi River chemical plants, is largely finished. So are a series of turn lanes on La. 73 in the Oak Grove area of northern Ascension and a new bridge on Babin Road, parish officials said.

All of those projects are part of the more than $70 million Move Ascension program that has been slowly churning through a list of 34 road improvements and light synchronizations for the past several years, a parish listing shows.

The program has finished six projects in all through the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and, by the summer of 2021, parish officials said they expect to have seven to 10 projects under construction or headed to construction.

These projects come in addition to the separate $29 million state construction project to widen more than three miles of La. 42 in Prairieville, which is rounding toward completion after more than seven years of sewer and road construction.

State highway contractors also are replacing bridges on Airline Highway at Bayou Manchac at the parish line and farther south near Gonzales.

The Move Ascension program is a first of its kind for parish government, which hadn't previously built new roads in decades but focused on road overlay programs that did little to address capacity problems in the fast-growing parish.

Coming off parish voters' resounding rejection of a half-cent sales tax for the "Lanes for Change" road program in 2012 and subsequent rejections of other tax measures, parish leaders then vowed to find ways to finance road construction without a new parishwide tax.

Under the administration of former Parish President Kenny Matassa and the Parish Council at the time, road impact fees on new homes and businesses, road maintenance property tax districts for new, individual subdivisions, and tighter traffic impact analyses were outgrowths of that vow. So was the Move Ascension program.

The road program has amassed more than $70 million by cobbling together funds from a $25 million bond issue in 2016, $10 million in sales tax surplus, impact fee revenues, federal and regional road matching dollars, state road swap money in Prairieville and other sources, parish officials have said.

Move Ascension has been focused on generating the kind of traffic-easing and safety improvements that parish officials had long sought through grants and the state highway department, officials said.

Mike Enlow, a parish engineer who led the early development of the Move Ascension program, and other parish officials have pointed out that the program has focused, in part, on corridors, such as the critical north-south route along Roddy Road and the east-west route on Germany and Duplessis roads north of Gonzales.

Both areslated for lane widenings of narrow roads to improve safety, though not add capacity, and a string of future roundabouts for traffic flow and safety.

The program, however, doesn't have the money for major capacity additions, like adding new lanes, in a parish that was estimated in 2019 to need $1.25 billion in road improvements over the next 20 years.

Enlow suggested that the parish must balance getting traffic moving more efficiently before creating costly capacity expansions that would simply dump traffic into other bottlenecks.

But creating the program from scratch required hiring engineering firm HNTB and a collection of subcontracted design firms, selecting projects and spending millions on designing them, buying land and moving utilities, which meant Move Ascension moved slowly through the Matassa years.

The program and its millions in engineering and other costs with little in the way of construction at that point were a campaign point in 2019 for a batch of new councilmen elected to office that year, along with the new administration of current Parish President Clint Cointment.

Beginning in second-quarter 2020 and now this year, those years of behind-the-scenes efforts have begun to bear fruit on the roads.

"So, we had to stand up a program from nothing and, you know, that takes time," said Jeff Burst, a senior project manager with HNTB and a lead consultant for the Move Ascension program.

Burst and several parish officials who have worked closely with the program since the Matassa administration have pointed out that the three years it has taken to see construction start on Move Ascension more than halves the time it takes the state to complete a project from start to finish.

The first two of the next 10 projects headed toward construction this year are the $2.4 million project to widen existing lanes on narrow C. Braud Road, an important link between La. 73 near Interstate 10 and Bluff Road, and a $1.34 million roundabout at Henry Road and La. 930 in Prairieville, parish officials said.

Though the state Department of Transportation and Development and developers have built roundabouts in Port Vincent, Sorrento and Burnside, the Henry/La. 930 roundabout would be parish government's first after more than a decade of discussions and design for various intersections.

Councilman Michael Mason, a first-term member who was critical of the parish's engineering spending on Move Ascension during the campaign, has taken an interest in oversight of the road program and said his view of the program has changed.

"When you get a little bit more information and you start to see how the big plan starts to unfold, you kind of see what the importance is. It's all about the flow of traffic," he said.

Mason explained that his constituents are tuned into Move Ascension projects for their area and so seem to be supportive of what is planned. He noted that some aired worries late last fall that a Move Ascension roundabout for Germany and Braud roads had been canceled when a temporary traffic light was put up by a developer.

Mason said the roundabout is still planned as one of nine proposed in Move Ascension. The state transportation department is planning others as well.

In years past, new parish administrations and Parish Councils have sometimes tabled the road and drainage priorities of the prior leadership, often leaving fallow taxpayer-funded engineering work with little to show for the expense.

With few exceptions, the Cointment administration has largely allowed Move Ascension and the several million dollars spent standing up the program to proceed.

One exception has been the costly and controversial safety widening proposed for Tiggy Duplessis Road in the Duplessis area, despite strong traffic data indications of safety concerns. The parish is taking other safety measures but won't widen the road, the primary point of contention.

Martin McConnell, an administration spokesman, said improving traffic was one pillar of Cointment's election campaign.

"Traffic, drainage and growth, that's what he ran on and, I think, he recognized that Move Ascension was already in place, already moving forward and is one of those things, if you have something in there that is working, you work with it," McConnell said.

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In the making for more than three years, Move Ascension program bears fruit for road work - The Advocate

Ascension welcomes first babies of 2021 – WSMV Nashville

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Ascension welcomes first babies of 2021 - WSMV Nashville

Scotlandville’s passing sparks win over East Ascension | High School Sports – The Advocate

GONZALESScotlandville spread the ball around like it was handing out late Christmas gifts Monday night at East Ascension.

The Hornets dished out 25 assists as they overcame an early deficit and overwhelmed the Spartans 80-60 in non-district action.

East Ascension (5-6) came ready to play. The Spartans made their first three shots, and quickly took a 7-0 lead, but Scotlandville (11-3) came charging back.

In the first half, every pass the Hornets made seemed to be the right one. They made 16 of 20 shots in the first half with 14 of the baskets coming off an assist. Scotlandvilles lead was 50-30 at halftime, and East Ascension got no closer than 15 points in the second half.

Weve been talking about our defense carrying us, but offensively we were in a rhythm tonight, Scotlandville coach Carlos Sample said. One thing that really impressed me was that we shared the basketball.

We did a real good job of sharing the ball and not just getting shots, but getting good shots.

For the game, Scotlandville finished at 67% from the field (28 for 42) and made 8 of 16 from 3-point range.

Zaheem Jackson made four 3-pointers and totaled 26 points. Also hitting double figures were Emareyon McDonald (24 points) and Cody Fleming (14 points).

East Ascension picked up its shooting in the second half, but the closest it could get was at 75-60 after a 10-2 run late in the game.

The Spartans, who made 25 of 50 shots, got big games from Keith Thomas (25 points) and Troy Dunn (19 points).

Theres an old school adage, Youve got to make more baskets than the other team, and thats what the heck they did tonight, East Ascension coach Tyler Turner said. Every time they shot the ball it went in. Theyre not the No. 1 team in the state for no reason. Theyre well-coached and made the baskets they needed to make.

We played hard and didnt quit. Our kids kept playing and kept fighting.

In the first quarter, Dunn hit a 3-pointer and Thomas added a pair of baskets as East Ascension took a 7-0 lead before Scotlandville got off its first shot. It did not take Scotlandville long to rally.

Cody Flemings 3-pointer tied the game at 10 and started a 16-0 run for the Hornets. Scotlandville made six free throws during the run and led 25-13 CZavian Teasett fed Jackson for a basket.

In the second quarter, Scotlandville made all nine of its shots from the field, a hot streak that included four 3-pointers. Early in the quarter, East Ascension trailed 29-15 before scoring on four consecutive possessions. It didnt matter as Scotlandville did the same to maintain a 14-point lead.

With time running out in the half, John Hubbard drove the baseline before kicking the ball out to Jackson, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer capped a 16-5 Scotlandville run to close out the first half.

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Scotlandville's passing sparks win over East Ascension | High School Sports - The Advocate

Gonzales native discovers new species of snake native to the Philippines – The Advocate

Jeff Weinell has always been fascinated with snakes the way they can live all over the world, from deserts to rainforests and even his familys backyard in Gonzales.

When Weinell, 30, graduated from East Ascension High School in 2009, his fascination was just a hobby as he started school at LSU, studying engineering for a time.

Ten years later, Weinell, a graduate research assistant at the University of Kansas' Biodiversity Institute, is responsible for the worlds most recent discovery of a new species of snake one that lives in the Philippines.

Weinell says he was able to take a hobby and "turn it in to something I do all the time.

Levitonius mirus, or the Waray dwarf burrowing snake, is native to the Samar and Leyte islands in the Philippines and only grows to be just over a half-foot long, according to the study published by Weinell and three of his colleagues in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Weinell discovered the snake by accident.

This was totally unplanned, as far as I wasnt going to look for a new species at all, Weinell said. I was hoping to work on a different project, looking at the evolutionary relationships among this group of snakes called Pseudorabdion. It looks superficially similar to this new snake, so it would have been easy for someone to misidentify that. While I was working on that, I found this one.

While running a DNA sequence on a sample of what he thought was a Pseudorabdion in 2017, Weinell realized the DNA did not match the species he thought he was studying. Further analysis of the sample revealed that three specimens stored at the institutes biodiversity collection, gathered on missions between 2006 and 2012, were an entirely new species.

After years of gathering data on the new snake, Weinell and his colleagues published their findings.

The snakes Latin name, Levitonius mirus, was coined by Weinell partially after a mentor, California Academy of Sciences researcher Alan Leviton, who has spent decades studying snakes in the Philippines. The snake is even part of a new genus, or a taxonomic classification that species are grouped under, that was named after Leviton.

The second part of the scientific name, mirus, translates from Latin to marvelous.

There are a lot of cases where specimens are misidentified, and sometimes its going to be another species from the area thats already been described and someone just misidentified it. Other times, it turns out to be something really different, like in this case, Weinell said.

The specimens in the institute's biodiversity collection are the only known ones ever found, Weinell said, something he unsuccessfully tried to rectify in 2017 when he traveled to the Philippines to find more of the species.

Weinell is now planning a trip back to the country in the fall in hopes of trapping a living specimen of the new snake.

Weinell wont complete his doctoral degree at Kansas until 2022, but he said he could see himself focusing his career on studying the evolution of life in the Philippines.

Theres a lot to discover, he said. The Philippines, it being an island archipelago, really lends itself to studying evolution. Each island is basically a replicate experiment of evolution.

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Gonzales native discovers new species of snake native to the Philippines - The Advocate

Alerts Raised for Two Eastern Caribbean Volcanoes Showing Signs of Life | The Weather Channel – Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com – The…

Scientists are keeping a close watch on two volcanoes in the eastern Caribbean that have been quiet for decades.

Lava began oozing out of La Soufrire volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Dec. 29.

Scientists with the Seismic Research Center at the University of the West Indies said there was no explosive eruption. Instead, the magma reaching the surface is forming a growing dome in La Soufrire's crater. The volcano is also releasing gas and steam.

The alert level on the northern end of the island of St. Vincent, where La Soufrire sits, has been raised to orange, which means an eruption could occur with less than 24 hours' notice.

However, no evacuations have been ordered, according to the country's National Emergency Management Organization.

The eruption of the La Soufrire volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is causing a lava dome to form in the crater at the top of the mountain. This aerial view was taken on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2020.

People living near the volcano could experience strong sulfur smells for several days or weeks, the Seismic Research Center said.

The last time La Soufrire erupted in 1979, more than 20,000 people were evacuated. An eruption in 1902 killed 1,565 people. Before that, the last major eruption was in 1812.

About 100 miles to the north, Mt. Pele on the French island of Martinique also is rumbling.

On Dec. 3, officials with the Martinique volcanological and seismological observatory advised raising the alert level to yellow after detecting seismic activity under the mountain, according to a news release from the observatory.

An increase in seismic activity since April 2019 and the detection of two tremors on Nov. 8 and 9 led the observatory to recommend raising the alert level, which the government did.

Mt. Pelee is seen from the port city of Saint-Pierre on the French Caribbean territory of Martinique in 2012.

It was the first alert of its kind issued since the volcano last erupted in 1932. An eruption in 1902 killed nearly 30,000 people and destroyed the port of Saint-Pierre, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Volcanologist Erik Klemetti, at Denison University in Ohio, told the Associated Press the activity at Mt. Pele and La Soufrire is not related.

"Its not like one volcano starts erupting that others will," he said. "It falls into the category of coincidence."

The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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Alerts Raised for Two Eastern Caribbean Volcanoes Showing Signs of Life | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com - The...

Sandals Caribbean resorts in hot water over COVID-19 ‘breach’ – New York Post

Lifes a beach at Sandal resorts unless theres a COVID-19 breach. Then, the fun stops.

The all-inclusive vacation getaway chain is in hot water at properties on the tiny Caribbean islands of Barbados, Grenada and Saint Lucia.

In Barbados, the resort on Dover Beach is in a faceoff with the government over verified breaches of COVID protocol, Barbados Today reported. On Tuesday, the countrys Ministry of Health and Wellnesswill delist the Sandals Barbados Resort and Spa as a designated quarantine hotel.

The hullabaloo is about three tourists who broke quarantine two removed their quarantine wristbands and another falsified documents. Theyre being held by authorities.

The chain came out swinging, denying the breaches and accusing health officials of heavy-handed action in the middle of talks with the ministry, the outlet reported.

And the resort insists the tourists two are from the UK arent in any way associated with its guests.

Sandals officials, in a statement, maintain theyre stringent compliance of any and all new protocols and use one of the two hotels on the property exclusively for quarantining guests. The other one is for post-quarantine vacationers only.

In Grenada and Saint Lucia, health officials have tied COVID-19 outbreaks to Sandals properties.

The Sandals Grenada is closed until Feb. 3 after several cases traced back to the resort played a role in triggering a partial lockdown of the island in mid-December. The government put restrictions in place after 26 cases nationwide popped up in one day.

Adam Stewart, the chains deputy chairman, told Travel Pulse, a tourism website, that the resort is putting up the guests who had been booked for the Grenada property at other Sandals in the Caribbean that they choose.

In October, Sandals Saint Lucia dismissed allegations of a coronavirus outbreak just days after reopening.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and we effusively deny these baseless rumors, the resort in a statement at the time.

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Sandals Caribbean resorts in hot water over COVID-19 'breach' - New York Post

Dormant Volcano in The Caribbean Just Came Back to Life, Causing Evacuation Warnings – ScienceAlert

Residents of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been told to remain alert after a Caribbean volcano came back to life.

La Soufrire is the highest point in St. Vincent and is located near the northern tip of the country but remained dormant for decades before beginning to spew ash on Tuesday this week,APreported.

Steam, gas, and a volcanic dome formed by lava that reached the earth's surface could also be seen above the volcano, according to theCaribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

The country's government, which consists of a chain of islands home to more than 100,000, raised the alert level to orange, meaning that eruptions could occur with less than 24 hours' notice.

La Soufrire, St. Vincent is in the Windward Islands, close to Barbados and St Lucia. (Business Insider)

La Soufrire last erupted in 1979 but did not cause any harm due to warning, while a 1902 eruption led to 1,600 deaths.

In an unrelated incident early last month, authorities from the nearby Caribbean island of Martinique issued a yellow alert due to seismic activity under Mount Pele, theIndependentreported.

Fabrice Fontaine from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Martinique toldAPthat it is the first time an alert of its kind has been issued since the volcano last erupted in 1932.

Mount Pele also erupted in 1902 and killed almost 30,000 people, making it the deadliest eruption in the whole of the 20th century.

In December, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted for the first time since2018and created a 600ft deep lava lake, according toNPR.

However, the most active volcanoes in the Americas have been the Soufrire Hills in Montserrat, which have erupted continuously since 1995 and killed at least 19 people in 1997, Erik Klemetti, a volcanologist from Denison University, Ohio, toldAP.

This article was originally published by Business Insider.

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Dormant Volcano in The Caribbean Just Came Back to Life, Causing Evacuation Warnings - ScienceAlert

The 25 Best All-Inclusive Resorts to Visit in 2021 Caribbean Journal – Caribbean Journal

Even amid the challenges of the travel industry, one sector continues to lead demand: all-inclusive resorts. Its why more major big brands are entering the increasingly competitive sector all-inclusive resorts are what lots of people are looking for when they plan their vacations.

Because theres just something about that combination of convenience and comfort that make this segment of resorts increasingly appealing. And thats nowhere more true than in the Caribbean, an area that continues to redefine what all-inclusive means and take a word that used to be a mere technical term and turn it into something of a badge of honor.

The 2021 edition of the best all-inclusive resorts brings you our editorial staffs favorite all-inclusive options in the region, with examining criteria including design, rooms, food, service, ambience, amenities and location.

It should also be noted that all of these resorts are what we like to call exclusively all-inclusive. That means theyre not EP hotels with all-inclusive options available; theyre full-fledged all-inclusives, meaning you get food and beverages included in any room you choose. From gourmet-focused large resorts to tiny, hidden-away boutique hotels, here are the best all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean right now.

Hammock Cove, Antigua Elite Island Resorts is constantly innovating, and what the company and Chairman Rob Barrett have created here is the ultimate resort for the new realities of travel, with 42 standalone villas in a dramatic cliffside setting near Antiguas Devils Bridge National Park. All of the villas have their own infinity pools and a breezy indoor-outdoor aesthetic; stocked bars, Bluetooth sound systems and, well, theyre the kind of rooms youll never want to leave. And thats precisely the point.

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The 25 Best All-Inclusive Resorts to Visit in 2021 Caribbean Journal - Caribbean Journal