Scorpions seek ‘winning start’
A winning start. That is the objective that is being echoed by Jamaica Scorpions coach Junior Bennett, as the team heads into battle today with defending champions and co-hosts, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the feature game of the opening round of the WICB NAGICO Super50 Tournament at Queen’s Park Oval.One of four matches on the day, the day/night Group A encounter, which can be seen on television network ESPN Caribbean, is slated to bowl off at 12:30 p.m. Jamaica time.”We will be looking (for) a positive start, a winning start, as we don’t want to play catch-up cricket,” said Bennett.”They are at home and we expect their fans to be heavily behind them. But we are not daunted.”We have prepared well and our confidence level is good.”Beaten at the semi-final stage last year, the Scorpions will enter the encounter under the supervision of first-time captain, John Campbell.The 22-year-old opener, a former West Indies Under-19 vice-captain, will be participating in his third Super50 and will be hoping to rise to the occasion, particularly as it relates to the batting unit.The batting is fairly young with former captain and veteran, Tamar Lambert, the most experienced.It also includes Antiguan-born Devon Thomas, the in-form AndrÈ McCarthy, Shacaya Thomas, Guyanese-born opener Trevon Griffith and the exciting Brandon King.West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood is set to join the team after the first three of six group fixtures.The Scorpions’ bowling, in the meanwhile – in the absence of Jerome Taylor, who is also scheduled to join the team for the latter stages – will be led by left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell and ever-reliable left-arm spinner, Nikita Miller.”It’s a balanced unit, a little bit of inexperience, but a raw-talented one with a lot of potential,” stated Bennett.The Red Force, in the meanwhile, are bereft of their most established players like Jamaica, due to either West Indies or worldwide Twenty20 leagues.TOPPLAYERSTheir most experienced players will be Guyanese-born batsman Narsingh Deonarine, fast bowling all-rounder Rayad Emrit, emerging batsman Jason Mohammed and leg-spinner Imran Khan.The other matchup in Group A will see 2014 winners Barbados Pride against ICC Americas at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground.Meanwhile, in Group B, which will be contested in St Kitts and Nevis, home of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, the hosts will face Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners at Warner Park, while at St Paul’s, last year’s runners-up Guyana Jaguars will meet Windward Islands Volcanoes.TEAMS:Jamaica Scorpions:- John Campbell (captain), Trevon Griffith, Jermaine Harrison, Andre McCarthy, Jermaine Blackwood, Tamar Lambert, Brandon King, Devon Thomas, Nikita Miller, Damion Jacobs, Aldaine Thomas, Marquino Mindley, Sheldon Cotterell, Jerome Taylor. Reserves: Shacaya Thomas, Nicholson Gordon.Trinidad Red Force:- Jason Mohammed, Yannick Ottley, Steven Katwaroo, Kyle Hope, Evin Lewis, Narsingh Deonarine, Kjorn Ottley, Kevon Cooper, Akeal Hosein Imran Khan, Philton Williams, Marlon Richards, Rayad Emrit, Jon Ros Jagessar.
Family members of a 66-year-old pensioner have accused the staff at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) of dragging their feet in providing urgent medical attention.The diabetic man, Budhan Budhram, of Lot 60 Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara, reportedly fell and hit his head and immediately began bleeding profusely on Sunday. He was then rushed to the nearby hospital around 19:00h that evening but had to wait for quite some time before he was attended to.However, the elderly man was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown PublicBudhan Budhram’s condition at the GPHCHospital (GPHC) after the doctors reportedly told his family that his condition was too severe for them to handle.Sharon Basdeo, the man’s daughter, told Guyana Times that since her father was brought to GPHC on Monday, the nurses have been taking much better care of him.The pensioner is said to have internal bleeding and memory loss. Basdeo said, “The doctors them only tell we that he get internal bleeding and we can like see that he nah really deh in he righted sense because like sometimes he nah even remember we”.She added that her father has been shaking ever since the fall, something which she is very concerned about, since he was never in that condition.Basdeo noted that several tests were conducted on her father already and he is currently waiting a few others which will assist doctors in making a more precise diagnosis.Budhram relied on Government’s old age pension for survival after he became diabetic. His wife passed away last year and he has been struggling to take care of himself.As distraught as the family of the man is, they argued that his condition might not have been that serious if he was properly looked after at the WDRH.
In the first period the Flyers got on the board early with a goal from Todd Alexander. In the second the Athletics tied the game, but Fort St. John responded with a goal from Robbie Sidhu and a second from Todd Alexander.With a final score of 3-1 for the Flyers.- Advertisement -Now the Flyers will play tonight at the North Peace Arena against the Spirit River Rangers starting at 8:30 p.m. That won’t be the only local game at the North Peace Arena today as the Huskies will host Peace River at 5:30 p.m.
Before he walked away from Wednesday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Kobe Bryant offered his exit strategy for the Lakers’ six-game losing streak, saying, “You have to try to will yourself out of the stretch.” It fell to Bryant to provide that will Friday night as the Lakers broke through for their first victory since Feb. 5, beating the Boston Celtics 122-96. The Lakers led by as many as 26 points in the third quarter against a Celtics team that has lost 21 of 22 games. Bryant finished with 38points – 22 of which came in a spectacular first quarter – connected on 5 of 7 3-pointers, found his teammates for nine assists, matched a season-high five steals and played only 31minutes in the blowout. “I spoke to Kobe before the game and said, `Don’t wait to get going in this game. Let’s go at them right away,”‘ Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “He carried the staff, so to speak, tonight.” “He gave me the marching orders and I carried them out,” Bryant said of Jackson. “We fell behind the eight ball tonight and needed kind of a kick-start and I was able to provide that.” There was a trickle-down effect from Bryant to the last man in uniform. All 11 players scored – including seldom-used guards Shammond Williams and Aaron McKie – and the Lakers held Boston to 66 points in the final three quarters. Williams finished with sixpoints and four assists, and played 20 minutes. He joked on his way to a television interview afterward, “I’m still the same dude from two weeks ago,” and later quipped that “the ball felt like a foreign object” after playing so little. Jackson brought out his binoculars to find both Williams and McKie and the end of the bench. He brought Williams in with two minutes left in the first quarter and started the second with McKie and Williams in the backcourt and Bryant on the bench. Where he normally would play Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic, Jackson opted for the veterans instead of the kids Friday. McKie had appeared in only one other game this season, and was most valued as an expiring contract heading into the trade deadline. 
“I told the young players that they’ve had an opportunity during the course of the year to advance,” Jackson said, “and right now for the sake of the team we need to have some of the veterans in there to do the things they know how to do because they’ve been on winning teams. “Right now, that’s what we’re after. We’ve tried to develop players and bring them along and now it’s time to use the moxie that’s necessary as veterans to win it.” Williams hit his first jumper after checking in, then another to open the second quarter, and the Lakers built a 13-point lead. Talking to reporters afterward, Williams thanked Jackson several times for giving him the chance to help the team. The only thing worse than suffering through a long losing streak, Williams added, is doing it from the bench. “It’s terrible because you’re sitting there like, `Wow, wow.”‘ Williams said. “You just want to win. That’s what we’re all here for. We’re all here for the win. We’re not here for the money, we’re not here for the fame. We’re here for the win.” Bryant said Williams and McKie could serve as examples for the Lakers’ younger players. “All season long, they haven’t complained, they haven’t whined,” Bryant said. “They’ve just worked hard every single day. First ones at practice, last ones to leave sort of thing. … Their number got called tonight and they performed extremely well.” ross.siler@dailynews.com (818) 731-3610 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
Dave Stevens joins the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast to round up the latest sporting odds.The Coral spokesman says Manchester United are out to 25/1 to win the Premier League after drawing 3-3 at Newcastle on Tuesday night, while they are 11/10 to finish in the top four.Aston Villa, meanwhile, are still 1/25 to be relegated despite claiming a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.Stevens also looks ahead to Wednesday night’s Premier League action and says Liverpool, at 2/1, are the outsiders in their clash with leaders Arsenal despite having home advantage, with the Gunners priced at 6/4.Coral is the official betting partner of the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast
Underwater archaeologists believe they may have discovered a sunken Spanish Armada vessel off the Donegal coast.Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan has announced State funding for an excavation of the wreck at Rutland Sound near Burtonport.The evidence recovered so far indicates that the vessel, which is lying in relatively shallow water, is from the 16th Century and part of the 1588 expedition. Minister Deenihan described the discovery as ‘a major find of significance not only to Ireland but also to the international archaeological, historical and maritime communities’.He added: ‘It could provide huge insight into life on board and the reality of the military and naval resources available to the Armada campaign.’Junior Minister Dinny McGinley has described the find as very exciting and says it could have all sorts for potential for the local area.Ends SUNKEN SPANISH ARMADA VESSEL FOUND OFF DONEGAL was last modified: August 5th, 2011 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:burtonportSpanish Armada
Following this weekend’s matches, Drake hosts UAB and George Washington on Friday Feb. 16 and Denver on Sunday, Feb. 18. South Dakota comes to Des Moines with a winless record (0-4) with losses to Division II Nebraska-Kearney and Rockhurst last weekend. Print Friendly Version The Hawkeyes have dropped their last four matches after starting the season with a 7-0 win over Marquette. Iowa fell to Miami (5-2) in its last time out. The Bulldogs are coming off a tough weekend as the fell to Michigan State and New Mexico before righting the ship at Omaha to start Summit League play 1-0. Drake has been led by its strong junior class, Ben Clark, Vinny Gillespie and Tom Hands. Clark has started the season with a 6-0 record, while Gillespie has registered two nationally ranked wins at No. 1 to be ranked 120th in the latest ITA Rankings. Hands, who played at No. 4 and No. 5 last year, has stepped put together a 4-2 record an No. 2 singles. Arizona travels to the Midwest for the second-straight week as the Bearcats fell at Indiana last weekend. Prior to the setback in Bloomington, Ind., Arizona rattled off three-straight wins over St. Mary’s (Calif.), San Francisco and Abilene Christian. DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men’s tennis is set to host Summit League foe South Dakota State and in-state rivals Iowa on Friday at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. The Bulldogs will close out their weekend on Saturday when they host Arizona.
Sinead, Sheila Sean Emer and Danny Mc Menamin pictured with Manus Kelly as they get ready for the big night at the karting centre in aid of Crumlin Hospital tomorrow night (FRI). Photo Brian McDaidLike many families, the McMenamins from Letterkenny were left devastated when told their son Sean had a serious heart defect.But through the wonderful work of the Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Sean is fighting fit and ready to take on the world.Here, to coincide with a charity night the family are hosting at the Karting Centre in Letterkenny tomorrow night, mum Sheila tells the touching story of a family’s fight for their young son. In times of austerity, water charges, Garda whistle-blowers and elections, it gives us some hope that deep down people are still good.“This is Sean, our bright eyed and bushy tailed wee man!! He was born 6th, 2013 in Holles St, Dublin. Sean’s story is not unique and is probably more common than a lot of us realise.“Last year while attending the ‘big’ scan in Letterkenny, it was detected that there was an issue with his heart, now Sean being Sean, wouldn’t move or position himself in a way that might give anyone a chance of a clear heart view!!“So a week or so later we went to Holles St and it was confirmed that yes there was a serious heart defect there. “To say we were devastated was an understatement. We drove home fairly quiet and so it began. We met with the cardiologist that was based in Our Ladys Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin (OLHSC) and he confirmed that Sean had an AVSD – which meant his heart only had 2 chambers with only one valve. They did go through what would be done but to be honest at that stage, most of it went over my head especially when they refer to his heart being the size of a strawberry!There were many black days of worrying what to expect and we had been told that no surgery would take place until he was 5kgs and that if there was any other issue with any other organs there would be no surgery.We had an amnio (tests) done and it was confirmed that Sean was also Down Syndrome. We were told that feeding would be a problem and to prepare for anything up to 6 months in hospital if he didn’t put on weight. With 2 other kids at home and Danny being self employed the thought of factoring how my life was to go on without me in it for that length of time was challenging to say the least! At one of our cardiologist appointments I was interrogating the consultant on exactly what I would need for Crumlin and he said he would get one of the specialist nurses to ring me. This was my first contact with Crumlin and to be honest probably one of the first times I breathed normally!!I had a list of questions as long your arm! Would the baby survive? Would he be incubated? Would I need to have him christened at the hospital? What did I need to bring? And the list went on! Over the time of the phone call, I was calmed and reassured that while his condition was serious, he was still a baby and yes he would need all the normal baby stuff!! It was arranged that at our next Holles St visit that we would call over to Crumlin where our nurse would show us the ward so we wouldn’t keel over when we arrived with Sean!Now I don’t know what bubble I live my life in – but my eyes were opened. We met Jackie inside the door of the hospital and it was like meeting an old friend! We chatted like it was a normal day and then we went to St Theresa’s ward …. It was packed and a hive of activity and I have never seen so many sick children ever before. All the nurses were flat out but they were all smiling and just carrying on with what they do. We left the ward, slightly overwhelmed, nervous but relieved that we had seen where Sean would be. Jackie was still as chilled as you like and in hindsight her calm approach kept us upright while we were there. She arranged that on our next visit that we would have a look at the intensive care unit and as she put it – nothing like a bit of advance warning!JuneIt was arranged that Sean should be born in Holles St given its close proximity to Crumlin and on 6th within 2 hours was transferred to Crumlin while I sat like a tulip in Holles st feeling all my aches n pains and feeling very sorry for myself!!!On the Friday, I signed myself out of Holles St and headed over to see Sean. I was glad that I had been in the ward before as at least I knew where I was going and it wasn’t as scary although still eye opening. Sean was cubicle 6 and when he was admitted there was 8 other babies there, on Friday evening there was19. Sean was lying back and was being tube fed every 3 hours and was on a stats monitor (now to us lay people, this machine continually checks his heart rate and also his breathing and just so you know …. It beeps and beeps and beeps every time u move!!!!). Once we arrived, Sean’s nurse came in to say hi and give us an update on how he was doing. Sean slept!! We were told of all the checks he had done the previous day and that morning and that he was very stable and very sleepy! At this stage, reality was sinking in fairly lively! The extent of road ahead was now very real and the fact that Sean couldn’t drink much of his bottle brought a whole new angle on tube feeding end of things. But that’s when the nurses kick in! Slowly we were encouraged to take small steps and work with Sean and everything that went with it; try him on the bottle, check the tube is still where its meant to be, tubing through the rest of his feed, not keeling over every time the stats monitor goes nuts!! Every nurse that looked after Sean spoke to him like he was one of their own! The team that followed Sean was mind blowing, Speech therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, consultants, radiographers and the full complement of nursing staff. And each member supportive, pleasant and always there to answer my often daft questions. Over the next couple of months, Sean was at home being tube fed, on constant oxygen and settling into life at home with 2 doting sisters at his side every time my back was turned! It was hard, but its amazing what you do without even thinking about it times. Every week we spoke to Jackie in Crumlin about Sean’s weight gain.And as always, there were often calls with daft questions too.In September we got the call that Sean’s heart surgery was booked and my heart sank. But again the girls in Crumlin knew the enormity of the phone call and were as supportive and as reassuring as they could be. The dread, the relief the mixture of emotion was unnatural. Sean’s surgery was rescheduled twice and then on the September we were admitted to Theresas ward again for surgery the next day.30thOnce Sean arrived on the ward, there was an automatic recognition of the wee man and all the nurses that looked after him in June all commented on how big he had got and given the number of children these people see in any given week is amazing that they would remember our Sean!JuneSean appeared with authority!!! He was taken to ICU and Mr Nolke, Sean surgeon, arrived into Sean’s room like any normal man. He went through the procedure and was more than willing to answer any questions – just pure normal!! Mr Walsh, Sean’s Cardiologist called to say how well Sean was doing and that he was happy with his progress. Jackie called in and went through how the day would pan out and at what stage of surgery she would ring us to update us on how things were going. We walked Sean down to theatre at 1:06 on the Monday morning. To say handing my wee dude over was hard is an understatement, he smiled all the way down the corridor and it was the hardest moment of our lives.The day passed so slowly, Jackie in fairness to her called us at every stage, being ventilated, going onto bypass, starting surgery, finishing surgery, coming off bypass and to recovery and then to ICU. It was 8.46 pm when we saw Sean. Thank god we had been shown ICU on a previous visit because it is one of the scariest places I have been. Sean was sedated when we went in but he did wiggle about a bit when we spoke, we couldn’t stay long, it was better for him stay still and he wouldn’t with us there.The reassurance of knowing that there is a specialist nurse there minding just Sean was enough to keep our minds at rest. ICU was full all with wee babies fighting their own corners, all with the help of their own nurse and a team that can only be described as genesis!On the Tuesday, Sean had one of the three drains removed and he abandoned the ventilator and for the first time since June was not on Oxygen!! (We could get rid of the canisters at home and the machine that sounded like a tractor with serious engine issues!!!!!)On the Tuesday morning when I went in to sit with Sean, a handmade crochet blanket was at the bottom of his bed. I told the nurse that it wasn’t Sean’s and that it would be safer being removed before it was christened! But Deirdre (his nurse) told me ‘that in hospital doctors and nurses have to do what they do and there is prodding and poking, giving injections and examinations at different times of the day and this blanket is a comfort to hide behind.It is their comfort that they can hide under when it all get too much and they have it forever. Volunteer blanketeers make and donate blankets so any child that has heart surgery gets a comfort blanket’. I was gobsmacked; the lump in my throat was so big I thought it would explode. People are good.He was due to go to the ward at a stage on Tuesday but all the beds in the ward were full so he stayed for another night in ICU. (Personally I think he was enjoying the 24/7 one to one!) He moved back to St. Theresa’s on the Thursday, and god love him – he didn’t like the drains. I have never seen him lie as still as he did but we did get a few wee smiles and an odd tug of the hair if it came any way close!On Friday the third drain was removed and when I came back to the ward, Sean was sideways at the bottom of the cot!!!! He was put on special milk as fatty deposits were picked up in the drains and Sean wasn’t too impressed (the smell would have knocked you over!!) so the tube was still there but in fairness the wee man didn’t seem to mind that much as long as he got fed and didn’t have to taste it.We left Crumlin the following Wednesday on 8 feeds a day of the smelly stuff! The nurses all bid him farewell and Sean smiled the bit out!! (Such a ladies man!!!) We had 6 weeks of the special milk every 3 hrs. It passed in a blur and the relief when we were told that we could go back to normal baby food! Mr Walsh was as lovely as ever, back up in 3 months to make sure all is going as it should. Surgery had gone exceptionally well and by the looks of things no more surgery needed.Sean attends Crumlin now every couple of months, he is now the full of life wee boy that he is meant to be. He terrorises his sisters, has his mom and dad on 24/7 call and has it all sussed!!We are lucky; we have come through a bumpy road with the support and help of family, friends and a fortune of holy candles, masses and prayers. The list of people that we are indebted to: The Paediatric Ward in Letterkenny General Hospital, Caroline/Mary – District Nurses, Mary Murray – The specialist cardiac nurse (the genius that makes it all seem so simple!!), Donegal Down Syndrome, the Early Intervention Team and so many others.But today it is about Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and the reason we are “karting for Crumlin”. As a unit they have gently nudged us through one of the toughest challenges to date! This is their normal – they do this all day every day and until you experience it you just don’t appreciate to work they do.We would like to thank John Dolan, a patron in fundraising for different charities and the Donegal Motor Club for helping us in this fundraising effort for Crumlin. We hope that you can join us for this worthy cause and you never know; Sean might have to get a wee lap round too…….!WHY SEAN AND HIS FAMILY WANT TO ‘LAP IT UP’ FOR CRUMLIN HOSPITAL was last modified: May 16th, 2014 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:Crumlin Hospitaldonegalkarting centreletterkennySean McMenaminSheila McMenamin
Local mothers and mums-to-be are invited to a special event for maternal mental health awareness this Saturday, 5th May. Donegal’s first ‘Paint Your Baby Bump’ event will be held at New Beginnings Wellness Hub, Glencar Shopping Centre, Letterkenny on Saturday 5th May 2018 from 1pm to 5pm. The charity day invites mothers to hear from guest speakers, enjoy tasters of wellness treatments such as reflexology and Kinesiology, as well as bump painting. The event is free to attend and any donations will be in aid of The Victoria Thompson Scholarship.Co-Organiser and Counsellor Sarah Barr said: “Last year, Psychotherapists Fran Buckley and Elva Glynn launched the Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day’s “Paint Your Bump” campaign.“It is a campaign to raise awareness of maternal mental health. It aims to support women in their transition to motherhood and offer self-care to all mums. It is also about starting the conversation about the everyday struggles of being a mother and before the baby is even born.” Guest speakers included The S-Mum, Yummy Mum, Homeopathic Specialist, Donegal Douala and Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, Simply Birth Donegal, Sarah Barr and G.P Tina Tooskey.There will be refreshments available and lots of prizes to be won on the day. There will be a holistic approach to the day, with reflexology tasters from Harmony Lane, Feet First Reflexology, Gill McGlinchey and Reflexology by Nicola. Kinesiology taster from Donegal Kinesiology Sharon Lynch.Mums-to-be will have the opportunity to have their bump painted by the talented Angela McFadden. This is done in a private space, using safe and toxic-free paints. There are a few slots remaining, to book a slot please call Sarah on 0864477867 or send a message via New Beginnings Facebook page. For more information about The Victoria Thompson Scholarship please visit: thevictoriathompsonscholarship.comFor updates on the Letterkenny Paint Your Baby Bump event, visit: www.facebook.com/events/183731742351945 Donegal mums and mums-to-be invited to special Baby Bump event was last modified: May 3rd, 2018 by Rachel McLaughlinShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:baby bump daycharityfundraisermaternal mental healthMothersnew beginnings
And now for something completely foreseeable.The Warriors’ Stephen Curry on Wednesday delivered the inevitable rim shot to the whole fake-moon-landing kerfuffle, telling ESPN, “Obviously I was joking when I was talking on the podcast. (Then) I was silently protesting how stupid it was that people actually took that quote and made it law as, ‘Oh my God, he’s a fake-moon-landing truther,’ whatever you want to call it yada, yada, yada.”Because it sucks to be late to the party, here is what he …