Latest news with #BlackHawks
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cruz's HOVER Act: Black Hawks Get A High-Tech Copilot For Safer Skies
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is flying high with a new bill that hopes to update the technology used in the American military's helicopter fleet. With the long title of The Helicopter Operational Versatility and Enhanced Readiness Act, more quickly referred to as the HOVER Act, the legislation promises to turn the Army's tried-and-true Black Hawks into modern marvels that can fly with or without a human at the controls. Cruz said in a recent press release that the move is about 'peace through strength,' giving our troops the very best in cutting-edge technology. 'The HOVER Act allows the U.S. Army to modernize its fleet with such technology, boosting military readiness and American national security. I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass this bill to ensure our military remains the strongest and most effective in the world,' Cruz added. The HOVER Act authorizes the use of government funds to convert at least three Army Black Hawk helicopters into Optionally Piloted Vehicles (OPVs), a fancy term for a helicopter that can fly itself or take instructions from a pilot in a format similar to Bluetooth. The OPV tech, already proven in aviation practices outside the military, aims to lighten the load on human pilots, reduce human error, and increase survivability rates during dangerous military missions. Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas-6), a former helicopter pilot, is also sponsoring 'companion' legislation in the House. 'As a former helicopter pilot, I understand firsthand the demands and risks associated with complex missions in challenging environments. The HOVER Act is a step forward in aviation safety and mission effectiveness. By integrating Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) technology into Black Hawks, we will not only reduce pilot workload but also enhance situational awareness and increase survivability in high-risk conditions,' Ellzey said. The bill also directs the Secretary of the Army to run a two-year test drive – an operational experimentation program to evaluate how these OPVs perform in the real world. The Secretary will also have to report back to Congress within a year with progress, findings, and recommendations for OPV usage in the future. Some could argue the bill is a no-brainer. Modern combat zones are complex, fast-paced, and dangerous. Cutting-edge tech like OPVs could help pilots focus on their missions and, hopefully, reduce crash rates. Cruz and Ellzey aren't waiting around. They're betting that robotic copilot systems are the next big thing in keeping America's pilots safe in battle. The HOVER Act is about more than just tech updates for a few choppers; it's about ensuring the U.S. Army's helicopters are ready to face tomorrow's modern threats. As Ellzey put it, 'This legislation is about giving our pilots the tools they need to be successful. It gives them the ability to execute their missions safely and effectively and come home to their families.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Smaby Moving On From Black Hawks, Heads Back To The College Ranks
Matt Smaby's success leading the Waterloo Black Hawks for four seasons has now led to a new beginning in a familiar spot. The Hawks' head coach was named the University of North Dakota's new associate head coach on Wednesday. This isn't the first time Smaby has been with the Fighting Hawks. From 2003 to 2006, he skated as a defenseman in Grand Forks. Then after Smaby concluded his professional playing career, he returned to North Dakota in 2017 and spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant. During the summer of 2021, Smaby was named the Black Hawks head coach. He compiled a 137-94-17 USHL regular-season record, plus a 14-12 mark during the playoffs. Smaby ranks second in the junior-era Waterloo record book for both regular season and playoff victories. In 2021-22, Smaby's Black Hawks were 28-30-4; however, the campaign's most memorable moments came after the regular season ended. Waterloo upset the Lincoln Stars during a road-only first round playoff series, then advanced to meet the Sioux City Musketeers. The Hawks were the only team to push the eventual Clark Cup champions to the brink of elimination. Smaby coached his first two NHL Draft picks in 2021-22: defenseman Sam Rinzel and goaltender Emmett Croteau. A year later, Waterloo improved to 40-21-1. It was just the third 40-win regular season in team history, highlighted by a pair of seven-game win streaks covering much of November and January. The Hawks finished second in the USHL Western Conference. Smaby assisted Aaron Pionk's multiseason transition from forward to defense; Pionk was ultimately selected during the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. In 2023-24, the Hawks claimed third place in the Western Conference with a 35-25-2 record. Smaby also pursued an opportunity to lead the U.S. Junior Select Team during the 2023 World Junior A Challenge, capturing a bronze medal in Truro, Nova Scotia. In league play, forward John Mustard came to prominence and was eventually chosen by the Chicago Blackhawks during the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Mustard paced Waterloo with 29 goals. The 2024-25 Hawks reached the Clark Cup Final for the first time in 11 seasons. Smaby directed Waterloo to post-season series victories against the Tri-City Storm, Sioux Falls Stampede, and Lincoln Stars following a 34-18-10 regular slate. The Hawks fell in Game Five of the best-of-five Clark Cup Final against the Muskegon Lumberjacks Tuesday. In December, Smaby also had an encore stint with the U.S. Junior Select Team, winning gold during the 2024 World Junior A Challenge in Camrose, Alberta. At North Dakota, Smaby will be reunited with former Black Hawks General Manager Bryn Chyzyk. Last month, Chyzyk was named to the Fighting Hawks' staff as assistant coach and general manager. The Black Hawks will begin an immediate search for the team's next head coach in preparation for the 2025-26 USHL season.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
The story behind Pelican Lake Indian Residential School's hockey team
"Beyond The Rink: Behind the Images of Residential School Hockey" shines a light on the success and complex history of the 1951 Sioux Lookout Black Hawks hockey team from Pelican Lake Indian Residential School in northwestern Ontario. The book was co-authored by Janice Forsyth, a professor at the University of British Columbia and a member of Fisher River Cree Nation, located north of Winnipeg. Here's what she has to say about the new book, which examines the photographs that helped document the team's story.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Area Democrats react to Durbin's retirement announcement
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin will not seek re-election, he announced in April, saying the decision was not easy. 'I love my job. It's a great job. But there comes a time in your career when the torch must be passed, and I've reached that point,' Durbin said in a video he posted on social media. Durbin went on to clarify that he will continue serving through the rest of his term, ending in January 2027. Upon completion of his final term, Durbin, 80, will have been the longest serving popularly-elected senator in Illinois history. He began his political career in 1982, representing the state in the House of Representatives before winning a senate seat in 1997. For area Democrats like Amy Buttram, Chair of the Vermilion County Democratic Party, the announcement serves as a reminder to 'build upon his legacy.' 'For over 40 years, Senator Dick Durbin has been a champion for working families and veterans not only in his home state of Illinois but across the nation,' Buttram said. 'His leadership, integrity, and willingness to tackle tough issues will be missed when he retires from Public Service.' 'As we look to the future of Illinois and National politics, the Vermilion County Democratic Party stands ready to protect and build upon his legacy and the future of the Democratic Party leadership,' Buttram added. In an April 23 press release, fellow Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth spoke of the impact Durbin has had on her career. 'The first time I met Dick Durbin was just 12 weeks after my shootdown — at a point so early in my recovery that I could barely sit up for any length of time, even in my hospital bed,' Duckworth said. Duckwork previously served as a pilot in the Army National Guard. She lost both legs in 2004 when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by a rocket grenade in Iraq. 'But when Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair. He saw a Soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn't mean that I couldn't find a new way to serve my nation,' Duckworth said of Durbin. She went on to call Durbin a 'leader who embodies what it means to be a true public servant' and a friend and mentor. '[Durbin is] someone who has never, ever stopped speaking out for those who far too often feel voiceless. Someone who has never, ever stopped fighting to hold the special interests in our country accountable,' Duckworth said. 'Someone who has never, ever stopped caring enough about our nation to do the hard, grueling work necessary to make her a little more fair, a little more just—one day, one bill, one constituent at a time.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
REACTIONS: Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin won't seek reelection
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Minutes after the announcement that Illinois' Senior U.S. Senator and Whip Richard 'Dick' Durbin would not seek reelection, reactions from fellow public servants began flooding in. UPDATED: Sen. Dick Durbin announces decision not to seek reelection Illinois' Junior U.S. Senator, Tammy Duckworth, also a Democrat, said the Senate is losing a 'giant.' She recalled meeting Durbin just 12 weeks after being shot down in Iraq while flying a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, when she could barely sit up. 'But when Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair. He saw a Soldier in search of her next mission. He recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn't mean that I couldn't find a new way to serve my nation.' Govenor JB Pritzker said he wanted to 'congratulate' Durbin on his career. 'Throughout his career, Senator Durbin has been a consistent champion and reliable leader for our working families, civil rights, healthcare, climate, and beyond,' the governor said. 'From first introducing the DREAM Act, to leading the historic confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to bringing in major federal infrastructure projects to our state, Senator Durbin has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of everyday Illinoisans.' Bradley University President James Shadid said Durbin was an 'amazing public servant who served the nation and his home state of Illinois with 'professional and personal integrity.' Shadid, who recently retired as a federal judge to become the university's president, remembered sitting in Durbin's office more than a decade ago when he learned the senator was going to recommend him to be a federal judge based out of Peoria. 'I just remember what a genuine person he was, how dedicated he was and sincere he was,' Shadid said. Shadid said he first met Durbin more than 30 years ago when his father, George Shadid, was the Peoria County Sheriff and a State Senator. He got to know him more as Durbin was the head of the judiciary committee when Shadid's nomination to the federal bench occurred. The former judge said Durbin's 'contribution to the federal judiciary speaks for itself in terms of the number of judges throughout the 7th circuit and specifically in his home state of Illinois that he saw through the confirmation process.' All, Shadid said, having met nearly all the judges appointed to the federal bench in this circuit, are good people and of high honor. In looking back, Shadid said he's grateful for what Durbin has done and is 'proud to call him my Senator and my friend.' U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, also a Democrat, who represents parts of Peoria, said it's been 'an honor serving alongside Senator Dick Durbin in Congress.' 'I have long admired his focus on creating jobs in Illinois, bringing down costs for working families, and protecting benefits for veterans and seniors,' he said. 'As a dedicated public servant for more than four decades, Senator Durbin has been a strong voice for Illinoisans, ushering into law many historic bills as a long-time leader in the U.S. Senate.' The LaHood for congress campaign released a statement stating that Durbin's retirement was 'long overdue,' but they still wish him well. 'Senator Durbin's retirement was long overdue. For decades, Illinoisans have known him as the face of Washington dysfunction — pushing liberal policies that have made life more expensive, our borders less secure, and our streets less safe. 'While we wish him well in retirement, Illinoisans are ready to turn the page. Voters are tired of out-of-touch liberal policies that have failed working families, and prioritized illegal immigrants and far-left ideological agendas over hard-working American taxpayers,' they said. Lisa Hernandez, the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, said Durbin has 'heart, courage and conviction.' Hernandez says for four decades in Congress, he stood with working families. 'He defended civil rights. He fought for compassionate immigration policy. He helped shape some of the most important legislation of our time—and through it all, he stayed grounded in the values that define our party and our state,' she said. Krishnamoorthi, who was raised in Peoria but now lives in Schaumburg, said Durbin was a 'champion for everyday families and an unyielding advocate for the underdog, Senator Durbin represents the true meaning of public service. Over the next two years, I know he will continue to fiercely advocate for our state, and I will be honored to fight alongside him as we continue to deliver for Illinois. From one son of downstate to another: Thank you, Senator.' She said 'his leadership on health care, veterans issues, infrastructure, DACA, our judiciary system and so much more will continue to leave a positive impact on our country for years to come.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
