Pentagon review calls for reforms to reverse spike in sexual misconduct at military academies
A new report says the U.S. military academies must improve their leadership, stop toxic practices such as hazing, and shift behavior training into the classrooms in order to address an alarming spike in sexual assaults and misconduct.
Navy probe prompted by suicides condemns conditions at shipyard: 'We let our people down'
A Navy investigation triggered by a series of suicides is recommending widespread improvements in housing, food, parking and internet for sailors, as well as changes to mental health and other personnel programs.
Navy expands boot camp to sharpen focus on character issues
The Navy is adding two weeks to boot camp in a major overhaul aimed at improving recruits' war fighting and emergency skills while also focusing on suicide prevention and character issues such as sexual assault, hazing and extremism in the ranks.
Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
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Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON – An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelli’s cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelli’s attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
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Mexico's last island penal colony may now host cruise ships
Visitors will be able to tour the remote island jail, but not stay overnight. Ad“Visitors will have their first contact with the former island prison which for 100 years sheltered numerous criminals,” Torruco said. When Panama closed its Isla Coiba penal colony in 2004, Isla Marias became the last one remaining in the Americas. But in the end, the Islas Marias wound up costing Mexico far more per prisoner than did mainland jails. Chile closed its Santa Maria prison island in the late 1980s, Costa Rica’s Isla San Lucas penal colony closed in 1991 and Brazil’s Isla Grande in 1994.
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World War ll vet’s love for music helps him live his best life
Along with his love for his country, he also shared a passion for music. His role as a signalman during World War ll was a vital one, but he also had another skill he brought to the decks of the Okanogan. As the years went by, he recalls his time in San Francisco playing swing music during the big band era. His wife, Deena, said through the years she’s proudly become his director, his producer, and his agent. Both Lyle and Deena have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and are ready to retake their lives filled of love, laughter and most importantly music.
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3 sailors have COVID on US ship that saw outbreak last year
FILE - In this July 9, 2020 file photo the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier makes its way into San Diego Bay as seen from San Diego. Three sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for COVID-19, the Navy said Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, less than a year after a massive outbreak on the ship sidelined it in Guam for nearly two months. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)WASHINGTON – Three sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for COVID-19, the Navy said Monday, less than a year after a massive outbreak on the ship sidelined it in Guam for nearly two months. The outbreak on the ship last year was the largest the military has seen so far, with more than 1,000 sailors testing positive. Other ships that have been underway or at their home ports over the past year have had smaller numbers of sailors test positive, but none have had such a major outbreak.
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Agriculture secretary nominee Vilsack endorses biofuels push
FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2020, file photo former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who the Biden administration chose to reprise that role, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON – Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of agriculture, pledged Tuesday to focus on climate change initiatives and work to address racial inequities in agricultural assistance programs. Vilsack, who testified before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, would bring much on-the-job experience to the position. In addition to serving two terms as the governor of Iowa, he spent eight years as President Barack Obama's Agriculture Secretary. But if you don’t have a grocery store, what then?”AdVilsack seems to enjoy bipartisan support and faced no serious criticism from Republicans on the committee.
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Navy pauses plan to move Wisconsin badger to Virginia museum
Naval Academy wants the state of Wisconsin to return the statue. The statue, crafted from melted-down cannons seized from Cuba during the Spanish-American War, was affixed to the first USS Wisconsin prior to World War I. The academy museum contacted state officials last March seeking the statue's return so it could be loaned to the nonprofit Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, where the second USS Wisconsin is berthed as an exhibit. Academy museum director Claude Berube last week consulted with U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican and former Marine. AdThe academy museum previously extended the state loan until mid-September due to COVID-induced closures in Norfolk.
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Woman, 21, killed in overnight four-vehicle crash in Schertz, police say
SCHERTZ, Texas – A 21-year-old woman is dead following an overnight four-vehicle crash in Schertz, according to Schertz Police Department. The crash happened around 10:51 p.m., Saturday, in the 21500 block of IH-35 southbound. A Nissan Rogue struck a Volkswagen Jetta that was disabled on the highway, according to police. The driver of the Volkswagen was outside of her vehicle, near the front, when the crash happened. Another crash happened as a result of the Nissan striking the Volkswagen, according to police.
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‘We remain hopeful’: Family says as recovery efforts continue for missing SA sailor’s remains
Goolsby’s family issued this statement Sunday afternoon, saying although the search and rescue efforts have ended, the recovery efforts for Ethan’s remains are ongoing. “Our family, the family of Ethan Goolsby, would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks for the countless gestures of love and support during this most tragic time in our lives. We remain hopeful that they will continue to search for our only son’s remains. He aspired to one day become a U.S. Navy Officer and we take solace that he died while engaged in the career that he envisioned for his future. Read more:‘We are holding out hope for a miracle’: Family says after SA sailor reported missing off California coastNavy searching for missing San Antonio sailor off Southern California coast
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‘We are holding out hope for a miracle’: Family says after SA sailor reported missing off California coast
Search and rescue efforts are still underway Saturday for a missing San Antonio sailor from the USS Theodore Roosevelt off the Southern California coast. Search efforts will continue today and the family expects to receive more updates this afternoon, according to Kelly’s social media post. The family issued a statement, thanking all family and friends for the support they’ve received thus far. I will focus on what is going on right now,” the family said on social media. RELATED: Navy searching for missing San Antonio sailor off Southern California coast
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Navy searching for missing San Antonio sailor off Southern California coast
A San Antonio family has identified the missing sailor on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to the Navy Times. The missing sailor was identified as Ethan Goolsby, a 20-year-old San Antonio native, by his parents Kelly and Michelle Goolsby, according to the Navy Times. The parents are asking other Navy parents for their support while the search for their son is ongoing. Goolsby’s parents told the Navy Times that Ethan Goolsby had joined the Navy on a five-year contract and hoped to become an officer. The search for Ethan Goolsby continued Friday, with multiple ships taking part.
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Pearl Harbor dead remembered in ceremony shrunk by pandemic
A U.S. Navy sailor plays taps in front of the USS Missouri during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Officials gathered in Pearl Harbor to remember those killed in the 1941 Japanese attack, but public health measures adopted because of the coronavirus pandemic meant no survivors were present. The military broadcast video of the ceremony live online for survivors and members of the public to watch from afar. The Arizona today lies at the bottom of the harbor, where it sank shortly being hit by two bombs. Warren Upton, a 101-year-old who served on the USS Utah, understood why he could not attend in person this year.
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Shipyard, union are getting back on same page after strike
BATH, Maine – Months after a bitter strike during a pandemic, Bath Iron Works managers and production workers are starting to get on the same page when it comes to catching up on the production schedule. Machinists Union Local S6 and shipyard managers have been meeting with help from a federal mediator since the two-month strike ended in August. Bath Iron Works is one of the Navy’s largest shipbuilders and is a major employer with 6,800 workers in Maine. Bath Iron Works will be competing against the Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi on that contract. The Bath-built Thomas Hudner in 2019 scored the highest in the program history, outperforming a destroyer from the Ingalls shipyard, according the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey.
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Veterans Day in 2020: quiet parades, somber virtual events
Residents and staff listen to the national anthem during a socially-distanced Veterans Day ceremony at the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Boulder City, Nev. With infections raging again nationwide, several veterans homes are fighting new outbreaks. At the annual Veterans Day gathering at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, many participants wore masks and kept their distance from others. “Veterans Day looks a lot different this year than it has in the past,” said Andy Patterson, commander of the Disabled American Veterans of New Hampshire. Ninety-eight veterans have died from COVID-19 in Missouri’s seven veterans homes since Sept. 1, and Gov.
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No. 1 Alabama-LSU, No. 5 Texas A&M-Tennessee postponed
5 Texas A&M at Tennessee will not be played Saturday because of COVID-19 issues, raising the number of Southeastern Conference games postponed this week to three. 24 Auburn's game at Mississippi State was postponed because of COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing within the Bulldogs' program. Auburn also has “a handful of close contact” cases having to quarantine, in addition to the positive tests, coach Gus Malzahn said. 6 Florida on Saturday after having two positive COVID-19 tests. In the American Athletic Conference, Navy's game at Memphis on Saturday was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests at the Naval Academy.
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Cal-Washington game canceled after player's positive test
California doesn’t have the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of the positive test and the need for other players to isolate under contact tracing protocols, the Pac-12 said in a statement Thursday. Wilcox had said Wednesday night that the game was in jeopardy because of the large number of players needing contact tracing. The school said the player with a positive test is asymptomatic. This marked the first positive test on Cal’s football team since practices began last month. This is the fourth time a Tulsa game has been postponed or canceled because of COVID cases.
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The Latest: Lions put Jalen Elliott on reserve/COVID-19 list
(Jose Sena Goulao, Pool via AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Detroit Lions have put safety Jalen Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is for players who either test positive or have been in close contact with an infected person. ___UConn has suspended all men's basketball activities after a player tested positive for the coronavirus. The confirmation of a positive COVID-19 case occurs when a player receives two consecutive positive test results. He was placed on it because he had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive.
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Navy jet crashes in California, but pilot ejects safely
The Navy says a fighter jet has crashed in the Mojave Desert but its pilot safely ejected. The F/A-18E Super Hornet from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's Central Valley went down Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020 in Superior Valley south of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)CHINA LAKE, Calif. – A Navy fighter jet crashed Tuesday in the Mojave Desert, but its pilot safely ejected, the Navy said. “The pilot ejected safely and was taken to a local medical facility for examination,” it said. Last month, a Marine Corps fighter pilot safely ejected from a F-35B jet after colliding in mid-air with another plane during a refueling operation in a remote desert area of Southern California.
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Pearl Harbor shooting probe finds mental health care flaws
The Navy said Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, its investigation into a shooting at Pearl Harbor last December was unable to determine what caused a submarine sailor to kill two civilian workers before fatally shooting himself. Romero was assigned to the USS Columbia submarine, which was in dry dock at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard at the time of the Dec. 4 shooting. The report singled out shortcomings by the submarine force's mental health program, which diagnosed Romero with “phase of life problems.” Romero met with a licensed provider at the program's Pearl Harbor clinic once. A forensic psychiatrist who reviewed Romero's case for the investigation said Romero showed signs of an undiagnosed mental disorder. The psychiatrist said the most probable diagnoses for Romero, in order of likelihood, were as follows: autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, social anxiety disorder, personality disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and adjustment disorder.
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Navy releases documents from Cold War loss of submarine
The first of the documents released were 300 pages from the official inquiry into the sinking of the USS Thresher on April 10, 1963. The crew of an accompanying rescue ship heard something about the “test depth.” Then the sailors listened as the sub disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea. The documents released Wednesday included the timeline of the sinking, evidence lists, reports, testimony and correspondence. Even more than 50 years later, technical details including the test depth were redacted. His suspicion is that the Navy was pushing the limits and placing personnel at risk during the Cold War.
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WATCH: Marine killed in training accident escorted from San Antonio to New Braunfels
SAN ANTONIO – A U.S. Marine killed in a training accident last month was escorted from San Antonio in a procession as he returned home to New Braunfels to be laid to rest. Marine Lance Cpl. Perez’s casket arrived at 11 a.m. at San Antonio International Airport. It was escorted by officers with the New Braunfels Police Department and other law enforcement agencies for his return to New Braunfels. RELATED: Marine from New Braunfels killed in training accident off Southern California coast
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Military finds human remains, sunken tank off California
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Navy has located a seafaring tank that sank off the Southern California coast last week and was working to recover human remains, officials said Tuesday. After that process is complete, it will raise the amphibious vehicle. Seven Marines and one Navy sailor were missing after the 26-ton (23-metric ton) landing craft sank Thursday. All of the Marines aboard were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at nearby Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. The Marines use the vehicles to transport troops and equipment from Navy ships to land.
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Marine from New Braunfels killed in training accident off Southern California coast
SAN DIEGO – Two Marines from New Braunfels and Houston are among those dead after their landing craft sank off the Southern California coast during a training exercise last week. Guillermo S. Perez, 19, of New Braunfels, was pronounced dead at the scene on Thursday, according to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at nearby Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. Officials with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit announced Sunday that they called off the search. “It is with a heavy heart that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,” said Col. Christopher Bronzi, commander of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. All of the Marines aboard were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at nearby Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego.
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Marines halt search for 8 missing troops, all presumed dead
SAN DIEGO – Eight troops missing after their landing craft sank off the Southern California coast during a training exercise are presumed dead, the Marine Corps announced Sunday. The Marines said they had called off the search that started late Thursday afternoon when the amphibious assault vehicle sank with 15 Marines and one Navy sailor aboard. The craft was one of 13 amphibious assault vehicles that had just completed an exercise. Troops on board two other amphibious assault vehicles responded quickly but couldn’t stop the sinking, Osterman said at a Friday news conference. And in 2011, a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank offshore of the camp.
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More military bases increase health protections due to virus
The military, however, still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three active-duty service members out of nearly 23,000 virus cases so far. I find that each base does things a little bit different, and theyve adapted very carefully, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said when he traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri this week. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about their base restrictions. For example, Army, Navy and Marine commanders had loosened restrictions at those bases in Japan, but reversed those decisions this month. Active-duty military cases of COVID-19 increased steadily through the spring, but began to escalate more sharply in June, jumping by about 3,000 or more a week.
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Mexico probe: marines abducted 27 in Nuevo Laredo, 12 found dead
MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexican marines allegedly abducted 27 people in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo in early 2018, 12 of whom were later found dead, according to an investigation by Mexicos governmental human rights commission. The rights commission said Tuesday that marines had violated the victims right to life, but did not say outright they had killed them. The commission also said it found inconsistencies, like changed identification of vehicles, in Navy reports on the incidents. Time after time, witnesses told investigators that their relatives had been picked up while driving or walking on the streets of Nuevo Laredo in early 2018 by marines, or people wearing marine uniforms. The commission said marines tore the motels security cameras out in an apparent attempt to cover up the abductions.
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21 injured in fire aboard ship at Naval Base San Diego
Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego Sunday, July 12, 2020, in San Diego after an explosion and fire Sunday on board the ship at Naval Base San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)SAN DIEGO Firefighters on land, in the air and on the water on Monday were still battling a blaze on a Navy ship that injured at least 21 people and sent smoke billowing over San Diego. Sobeck told the San Diego Union-Tribune that there was no ordnance on board, and while the ship holds a million gallons of fuel, that is well below any heat source. About 160 sailors and officers were on board when an explosion and flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke from the 840-foot (255-meter) amphibious assault vessel, which has been docked at Naval Base San Diego and was undergoing routine maintenance. The fire was not a fueled by fuel oil, hazardous materials or electrical causes, Sobeck told the newspaper.
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Shipbuilder files complaint over union threats during strike
Strikers picket outside the district lodge of Local 6 across from Bath Iron Works, Monday, June 22, 2020, in Bath, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works on Friday filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing its largest union of threatening workers who cross the picket line during an ongoing strike in Maine. The company accused leaders of Machinists Local S6 of threatening so-called scabs with fines and loss of benefits and hinting at violence. We are extremely disappointed that union leaders would make false and threatening statements to the very employees they are supposed to represent, said BIW President Dirk Lesko. Wadleigh insisted that production workers who cross the picket line are no longer eligible for union benefits, and may face fines, as well.
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As COVID-19 cases spike, where are the Comfort and Mercy ships now?
The ships were deployed in late March to help assist frontline hospital workers and provide care on the ships, should hospitals overflow with patients. Comfort arrived in New York City on March 30, a day after it left Virginia, according to Business Insider. Comfort left New York City after treating 182 patients, 70% of whom had COVID-19, according to NavyTimes. Comfort is available in case it is needed for future help, according to NavyTimes, while USNI News reported the same is true for Mercy. (Getty Images)The USNS Comfort departs for its home port of Norfolk, Virginia on April 30, 2020 in New York City.
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Marions Walker Rudisaile ready to make waves at Naval Academy
MARION After seeing his chances at the Texas high school state pole vault record evaporate due to the coronavirus pandemic, reigning Class 3A UIL State Champion and Marion graduate Walker Rudisaile is preparing for his new life at the Naval Academy, where he has his sights set on a school record and serving his country.
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Striking shipbuilders are losing health coverage in pandemic
PORTLAND, Maine The stakes are growing in a strike against Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works during a global pandemic as company-provided health insurance is running out for 4,300 shipbuilders who've left their jobs. Keeping health insurance through the so-called COBRA program can cost up to a couple of thousand dollars a month. Others said they will simply do without health insurance. Kelley Hammond, a 58-year-old marine electrician, opted to forgo purchasing insurance and filled a blood pressure prescription Tuesday, before the expiration of the companys insurance. The shipyard is already about six months behind scheduled, partly because of the pandemic, and it will need subcontractors to help get back on schedule, Bath Iron Works President Dirk Lesko has said.
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US naval buildup in Indo-Pacific seen as warning to China
This week, however, Navy commanders said they were able to take advantage of the timing, particularly during this period of great power competition with China. Carriers and carrier strike groups writ large are phenomenal symbols of American naval power. Koehler said that most recently China deployed aircraft to Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands and is now operating them out of there. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group are operating in the Philippine Sea near Guam. The USS Ronald Reagan has left port in Japan and is operating in the Philippine Sea south of there.
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Navy carrier sidelined by virus is back operating in Pacific
WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Ten long weeks after a massive coronavirus outbreak sidelined one of the Navy's signature warships, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt has returned to sea and is conducting military operations in the Pacific region. So I thought it was appropriate, said Sardiello, who asked one of the other Navy ships to borrow their flag. She had tested positive for the virus and was in quarantine for about five weeks. There are still about 350 sailors on Guam who are either in isolation or are there as support staff.
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SeaWorld donates toilet paper to medical trainees at Ft. Sam Houston
SAN ANTONIO – SeaWorld San Antonio donated its supply of toilet paper Saturday to Navy medical trainees stationed at Ft. Sam Houston. Members of the Navy First Class Petty Officers Association, a non-federal, non-profit group that advocates on behalf of enlisted sailors, reached out to SeaWorld officials and requested the donation for 1,000 Navy medical trainees in need of supplies. The military students are restricted to the base due to the new coronavirus pandemic and were experiencing a shortage. SeaWorld San Antonio donated 45 cases, about 500 jumbo-sized rolls, of toilet paper. All SeaWorld theme parks temporarily closed on March 16 and will stay closed at least through the end of the month.
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Great Graduates: Leif Griffin
SAN ANTONIO – Four years of early mornings, long days and tough classes might seem overwhelming but for one Southwest High School JROTC cadet, those sacrifices paid off. Leif Griffin is heading to Oregon State with a goal to serve his country as a nuclear engineer with the Navy.