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Wood River's Atomic Pinball Arcade is a haven for pinball and community

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

WOOD RIVER, Ill. - The resounding clatter of silver balls, flashing lights, and triumphant pings echoing through the air—these are the heartbeats of Atomic Pinball Arcade. Situated in downtown Wood River, this establishment isn't just a gaming haven; it's a testament to the enduring appeal of pinball, the excitement of competition, and the nostalgia of cherished memories. Evolution of Pinball: Contrary to pinball's stereotype as a relic of the past, Charles Sanderson, the owner and visionary behind this unique establishment, sheds light on the game's modern allure. "Older people come in, and they always ask about the older machines," he said. "Those were fun when you were 13, but they're not so fun at 53." With intricate rule sets and dynamic challenges, pinball has transformed into a captivating blend of strategy and skill. "In the old days, it was about mastering a skill set and following a set of rules," he explained. The past's simple rules involved...

3 dead, 2 in critical condition after violent car crash in South L.A. 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

A car crash in South Los Angeles killed three people and left two others fighting for their lives early Saturday morning. According to preliminary reports from CHP, the collision happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. in the Westmont neighborhood of L.A. near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Century Boulevard. Responding officers located several bodies that had been ejected from their vehicles lying in the street, authorities said. According to preliminary reports from CHP, the crash happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. in the Westmont neighborhood of L.A. near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Century Boulevard. (ANG)According to preliminary reports from CHP, the crash happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. in the Westmont neighborhood of L.A. near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Century Boulevard. (ANG)According to preliminary reports from CHP, the crash happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. in the Westmont neighborhood of L.A. near the intersection of Vermont Aven...

New SpongeBob dark ride attraction set for this Las Vegas resort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

Who lives in a pineapple under The Strip?SpongeBob Squarepants, apparently, KTLA sister station KLAS reports. Circus Circus Las Vegas announced Thursday that SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride, a new attraction based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, is coming to the resort in 2023.The attraction will be a dark ride, or a sort of ride that features automatically guided vehicles navigating through scenes that can include animatronics, vibrant lighting, and special effects. The release from Circus Circus says the $6 million ride will consist of those features, along with projections that will fully submerse riders "in the nautical nonsense of SpongeBob SquarePants.""Riders will experience the beloved and renowned SpongeBob SquarePants in a highly immersive way," said the news release from Circus Circus. "The ride starts when Mr. Krabs invites guests to try their luck at his collection of zany ride-through carnival midway games, and his arch-rival Plankton hatches an evil...

Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 1 action

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup. Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.If you have not already, please subscribe here for complete digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.On to the roundup …Ranked teamsOrange Lutheran 35, No. 2 De La Salle 14Tied at halftime, De La Salle gave up three unanswered second-half touchdowns and lost at home against an opponent that comes from the same league that features Mater Dei and St. John Bosco. Steve Chavez was the star of stars for Orange Lutheran, rushing for three touchdowns, including one justifiably called “Beast Mode 3.0” by the junior running back’s coaches. D...

Where are California’s biggest pay raises? Look inland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: California’s largest pay raises, geographically speaking, were concentrated away from major coastal employment hubs as 2023 started.Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed the “Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages” report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study for the 12 months ended in March included 29 California counties. It’s based on unemployment insurance data filed by bosses vs. the more closely followed monthly job reports derived from employer surveys. These quarterly numbers give a different – some say better – snapshot of job market conditions.ToplineLet’s look at the state’s largest job markets and the inland locations with the largest pay gains …San Bernardino: 8.2% wage increase to $1,135 a week for 831,500 workers, down 0.3% over 12 months.Riverside: 7.7% ...

San Francisco’s Green Goddess salad dressing — 100 years old and counting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

This is the tale of two Green Goddesses.One hundred years ago, the executive chef of San Francisco’s Palace Hotel created a salad dressing to honor noted actor George Arliss, who was staying at the hotel while performing in “The Green Goddess,” a popular stage production of the day. The dressing was rich, herbaceous and, of course, green.Today, the play is lost to history (and best left there, theater critics say) while the salad dressing has endured, a testament to its appealing flavor and versatility.In honor of that centennial, the Palace and the city of San Francisco are paying tribute to chef Philip Roemer’s deliciously tangy concoction. Forevermore, Aug. 23 will be known in San Francisco as Green Goddess Day, an official city proclamation says. And naturally, hotel officials hope to showcase this classic on the menu at the opulent Garden Court for another century.“Have you ever attended a birthday party for a salad dressing?” Angie Clifton, ...

Saratoga residents report identity theft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

AUG. 14Commercial burglary, vandalism: Between Aug. 10 and 14, someone removed a gate and entered Congress Springs Park on Glen Brae Drive. They then broke locks of structures on the property and stole a phone and landscaping equipment valued at $2,100. The total amount of damage was about $4,500.Commercial burglary, vandalism: Someone entered the PG&E property on Glen Brae Drive overnight by removing portions of a wooden fence, then broke locks to access a container and small structure. Details of any stolen property were not provided. The total amount of damage was estimated at $5,020.Petty theft: Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:50 p.m., someone stole a backpack and a bicycle from the front yard of a residence in the 18000 block of Montpere Way for a total loss of about $560.AUG. 15Identity Theft: A Saratoga resident reported that someone used their personal information to access their benefits account and made fraudulent purchases totaling approximately $927.AUG. 16Residential burgla...

As Kevin Coster denies affair, his ‘womanizing’ was well known during first marriage, report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

In new divorce filings, Kevin Costner and his attorneys want the public to know that he wasn’t unfaithful during his 18-year marriage to Christine Baumgartner — in contrast to reports about his first marriage to college sweetheart Cindy Silva, which ended in 1994.In fact, the final years of Costner’s marriage to Silva were plagued by “increasingly public rumors of his womanizing,” allegations of serial cheating and the movie star developing a reputation for being “a total hound” — who would “almost reflexively come on” to any woman who caught his eye, according to a November 1994 People cover story.It’s entirely possible that Costner evolved and matured with age, and he was sincere when he talked about not wanting to make the same mistakes with Baumgartner as he did in his first marriage. With regard to marriage no. 2, the 68-year-old actor and director replied “none,” when asked in court records whether h...

US shakes off slow start and tops New Zealand 99-72 in Basketball World Cup opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 21 points off the bench, Anthony Edwards added 14 and the U.S. shook off a slow start to beat New Zealand 99-72 on Saturday in the Basketball World Cup opener for both teams.Jaren Jackson Jr. and Austin Reaves each scored 12 for the Americans, who remained unbeaten in six games this summer — the first five of them exhibitions. This game was the first that counted for the Americans, who are trying to win the World Cup for the sixth time and erase the memory of finishing seventh in FIBA’s biggest tournament four years ago in China.It wasn’t easy for the pre-tournament favorites: Their lead was only 12 with 2:01 to go in the third before Banchero hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the U.S. its biggest edge of the night to that point, and the Americans kept control from there.Reuben Te Rangi led New Zealand with 15 points.New Zealand’s players performed a pregame haka — the traditional show of national pride expressed thro...

DC police officer identified who shot man after domestic violence report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:02 GMT

D.C. officials have identified the police officer who critically wounded a man while responding to a reported domestic violence incident earlier this month.Officer Randall Butler shot Javier Reyes-Lopez, 34, on Thursday, Aug. 17, according to a Friday news release from deputy mayor Lindsey AppiahButler has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, per D.C. police policy.“The subject declined release of the body-worn camera footage of this incident,” Appiah said in the statement, though, at the time of the shooting, officials said police body camera would be under review.Acting Police Chief Pamela Smith said during a news conference that officers first “received a call for a man with a gun and potential domestic situation” at about 10 a.m. in an apartment building.Officers were called to the area of the 7400 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest after a 911 call at approximately 10:35 a.m., reporting gunfire related to the appar...