Monthly Archives: March 2017

Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden sounded hip -- or at least with it -- for a second.

Receiver Josh Doctson posted video of himself on Snapchat recently performing agility drills and catching passes. It was a good step for a player coming off a frustrating Achilles injury.

Now we see him doing things on Snapchat, Gruden told reporters at the scouting combine. Heck, I follow him.

Gruden saw it on Snapchat? Shows over, folks.

I dont even know what that is, Gruden admitted. But its good to see him out there running, doing football drills. Josh is really working hard, man. Thats half the battle. We fully anticipate him being healthy.

If youre possibly going to lose your top two receivers, you need the guy you drafted in the first round to be ready to step up. The Redskins still havent contacted Pierre Garcon to discuss a new contract, and the whispers surrounding DeSean Jackson link him more with Tampa Bay than the Redskins. But until they sign elsewhere, the Redskins could always swoop in with a last-minute generous offer. Barring that, the Redskins will need more from their current group of receivers -- especially Doctson, who was limited to two catches in two games his rookie season.

Thats why his progress this offseason is encouraging. If and when he's healthy, Doctson, who showed an ability in college to track the ball well down the field, would provide the Redskins a good-sized target at 6-foot-2.

His inability to return does not stem from a lack of love for the game, multiple sources have said throughout the last six months. Rather, the injury issue simply wouldnt go away without extended rest. As it continued, Doctson went from having a problem in just his right foot to both feet.

Those from him his past likely would remind anyone that this is the same kid who went from lightly recruited out of high school to Wyoming to TCU walk-on to a first-round pick. Thats part of what attracted the Redskins to him in the first place.

And they viewed him as a top-10 pick -- and the only receiver who would tempt them in the first round last April. After his early workouts with the team, mostly while facing rookies, the coaches were ecstatic. Then the injury occurred May 25 and Doctson was never a factor the rest of the year.

He will have a major impact on this offense once we get him healthy, Gruden said. Thats the biggest thing for him: Can you take the strides necessary to get healthy? We see him in the weight room all the time, working hard. Theyll get him right. Hell get himself right.

But Gruden knows that Doctson must show he can do these drills for an extended period without having the issue return. Both want the cross-your-finger optimism in March to translate into no worries by July. Thats when theyll know Doctson has escaped his issues.

Theres still a long way to go, Gruden said.

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Jay Gruden encouraged by Josh Doctson's progress, says WR has 'long way to go' - ESPN (blog)

Recent weeks have seen numerous personnel developments at The Daily Progress.

Lowell Miller, a 25-year newspaper veteran and advertising director for the Central Virginia Media Group since 2015, is returning to his native Nebraska to handle major accounts for the Omaha World-Herald, also part of the Berkshire Hathaway Media Group. Miller previously worked for the World-Herald.

The Central Virginia Media Group includes The Daily Progress, The (Waynesboro) News Virginian, the Orange County Review, the Greene County Record and the Madison County Eagle.

Miller, 40, of Crozet, is succeeded by Frank Dubec. Dubec, 41, of Charlottesville, has a wealth of experience serving creative solutions to advertisers in multiple formats, including print, digital and events. He is a former publisher of the C-VILLE Weekly and formerly ran the digital advertising agency Deep Soil. He will oversee the sales, service and design operations of the Central Virginia groups 30-person sales department and develop and implement strategies with Publisher Rob Jiranek.

Paul Wash has been named circulation director of the group. Wash, 55, of Waynesboro, is a newspaper circulation veteran who worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more than 30 years. In 2007, he became circulation director of The News Virginian and late last year joined The Daily Progress as home delivery manager.

The demand for our product in both print and digital proves that we are No. 1 in providing the community with information, sports, entertainment and much more. Fulfilling that daily for our readers is what drives our department, Wash said.

Miguel Coradine replaces Wash as home delivery manager, responsible for home delivery and digital access for the group. Coradine, 37, of Charlottesville, previously worked as a newspaper circulation manager and has experience supervising carrier networks and managing customer service.

Brandon Barfield has been promoted to audience sales manager, responsible for sales and marketing for the newspaper group.

Barfield, 31, of Orange County, has a background in magazine publishing.

Managing the transition of print to digital readership is a fascination for me, he said, and developing stronger competency in making our content more conveniently available to our audience is what inspires us.

Aaron Richardson returns to The Daily Progress as an assistant city editor. Richardson, 29, of Charlottesville, was a reporter for the newspaper from 2011 to 2014. He has covered education, business and development for Daily Progress news partner Charlottesville Tomorrow for the past year.

In our lives, we might get one shot to make a newspaper truly great for its city. And while it may sound a little earnest, we feel a sense of destiny that now is our shot. Readers get ready: Were on a mission, and this newspaper is getting better, Jiranek said.

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Daily Progress announces several leadership changes - The Daily Progress

Amanda Thames AmandaThames

Its not vans with drivers promising free candy to kids that parents need to worry about today, officials say. Its social media.

Most of the sex offenders who prey on children who are strangers to them do their preying on Facebook, chat rooms, and mobile apps, said Maj. Chris Thomas with the Onslow County Sheriffs Office.

Conversations and requests from predators range between sending inappropriate photos, asking for a meeting, and asking for sexual favors, Thomas said.

It leads to a question: Should convicted sex offenders be allowed to have a Facebook page?

The Supreme Court is reviewing that question now. A North Carolina law that allowed prosecution against convicted sex offenders using social media pages was deemed unconstitutional in 2013.

Since that ruling (the statute) has not been enforced, Thomas said.

While Thomas believes its up to the courts to decide what is or is not constitutional, the whole objective is to protect children as much as you can, he said.

The Supreme Court began looking over a lawsuit Monday to make a ruling, the Associated Press reported.

It began with Lester Packingham Jr.

Packingham, 36, was forbidden by a 2008 North Carolina law from using commercial social networking sites like Facebook that children could join. Thats because hes a registered sex offender who was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor when he was 21. He served 10 months in prison.

After a trip to traffic court, Packingham announced on Facebook that his pending ticket was dismissed.

No fine. No Court costs. No nothing. Praise be to God. Wow. Thanks, Jesus, Packingham wrote in a 2010 post, which led to the lawsuit heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday.

A Durham police officer investigated Packinghams post and determined he used an alias rather than his real name. Packingham was prosecuted, convicted of a felony and received a suspended prison sentence. His lawyers say no evidence pointed to Packingham using Facebook or his computer to communicate with minors or that he posted anything inappropriate or obscene.

Now the Supreme Courts task is deciding whether the law, meant to prevent communications between sex offenders and minors via social media, is so broad that it violates the Constitutions free-speech protections.

The case reaches the Supreme Court after it was upheld by North Carolinas highest court in a divided ruling. The law addressed websites that might allow sex offenders to gather information about minors, the state court said. But dissenting justices argued the ban extends further and could outlaw reading the New York Times and Food Network website.

The statute, N.C. 14-202.5, says, It is unlawful for a sex offender who is registered in accordance with Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes to access a commercial social networking Web site where the sex offender knows that the site permits minor children to become members or to create or maintain personal Web pages on the commercial social networking Web site.

If the statute is ruled constitutional, Thomas said it would be used in Onslow County to some degree. People on the sex offender registry are watched and checked up on regularly to ensure theyre following guidelines, Thomas said, and if the statute comes back into play, it will be another way to check on them.

I think forbidding (sex offenders) from being on those sites is a good step to preventing future victims, Thomas said.

However, the best way to prevent these crimes is for parents to check in on their kids, Thomas said.

The biggest thing for parents is to know what their children are doing, especially when theyre online, he said.

Stay up-to-date on new phone apps and how they work, Thomas said. See what photos theyre taking and who theyre sending them to.

Once someone puts an image online, its gone forever, Thomas said. The receiver can screenshot or download the photo and send it wherever they want.

Set ground rules as well, according to a report from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Children should only use tablets, cell phones, and computers in public areas of the house so others can occasionally see whats on the screen, according to the SBI. Also keep an eye on games, as predators often use gaming chats to make initial contact with victims.

Communication with your child and talking with your child is probably the best preventative measure, Thomas said.

As of Friday no decision from the Supreme Court had been announced.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

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Ruling on social media rights for sex offenders in progress - Jacksonville Daily News

As Colorado Rockies spring training 2017 rolls on, we want to make sure we are giving you regular progress reports as opposed to just individual game notes. We will still be providing those more from time to time, but if you follow the Rockies at this time of year looking less at the box score and more at how what is happening now might affect the upcoming season, these reports should be far more helpful.

With each, we will give you an update on players who stock is going up and those who are going down, with specific attention paid to those on the bubble at any given position. Its always nice to check in on Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, but almost nothing they do this spring is going to change their perceived role heading into the season.

After taking a look at individual performances, we will wrap up with some miscellaneous notes from the week.

Gerardo Parra With the injury to David Dahl, Parra is taking advantage of every possible resource he needs to capture the starting spot in left field. So far in five games, Parra is hitting .364 with one double, three RBI and three (yes, three) walks.

Miguel Castro Castro is looking to bounce back from an up-and-down 2016 campaign. The 22-year-old has made three appearances, throwing2 1/3 innings while giving up two hits and striking out two.

Tony Wolters Colorados potential Opening Day catcher loves Spring Training. Like last year,Wolters is thriving in the early goings. Tony is hitting .545 with one double, one home run and four RBI.

Jeff Hoffman Looking to capture the fifth and final rotation spot, Hoffman has put up solid numbers in two outings. Hoffman has logged 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run (not earned) on five hits while striking out three.

Zach Jemiola The 22-year-old is making the most of hisoutings early on. In four appearances, Jemiola has given up just one hit over four innings while striking out two.

Mark Reynolds Reynolds is looking to capture a roster spot, but it wont be as a starter. The addition of Ian Desmond forces the veteran to be a backup unless an injury occurs. In five games, Reynolds is hitting .364 with a double and an RBI.

Jordan Patterson Patterson has hit the ball with authority this spring, launching two home runs and four doubles in 17 at-bats. As weve discussed at BSN Denver, if he keeps this up and Cristhian Adames and/or Alexi Amarista dont do enough to separate themselves, the Rockies have enough versatility to carry Patterson instead of one of those two guys.

Jordan Lyles Since the demotion to the bullpen, things still havent gone Lyles way on the mound. In two appearances thus far, the right-hander has given up five runs on five hits two of which were viathe long ball.

German Marquez Marquez is one of the names in discussion for the final rotation spot, but hes not helping his cause. In two appearances, one start, Marquez has given up four runs on five hits while walking two and striking out a pair.

Kyle Freeland Another candidate for the final rotation spot, Freeland like Marquez is struggling out of the gate. The southpaw has made one start, giving up fourruns (three earned) on two hits while walking two as well as striking out two.

Tom Murphy Murphy will be one of two catchers cracking the team, but for now its looking to be Wolters job to lose.The power-hitting backstop is hitting just .143 in five games played.

Alexi Amarista Amarista was signed to be a utility player and perhaps a little bias from his previous, now current, manager Bud Black. The27-year-old is hitting .125 in four games played.

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Colorado Rockies Spring Training 2017: Progress Report 1 - BSN Denver