Latest news with #Brookins
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lady Indians head to Arizona for Nationals round two
MARIANNA, Fla. (WMBB) – The Chipola softball team is heading to Yuma, Arizona, for a second-round matchup against Chattanooga State Community College in the NJCAA Division I World Series. The 33-19 Lady Indians have punched their ticket back to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time since 2021 and have hit the second-round. The team is led by standout sophomore pitcher Anyela Gomez, who boasts 11 home runs and 53 RBIs this season. With prior experience at the NJCAA World Series, Head Coach Kelly Brookins emphasized the importance of staying focused and controlling the controllable. 'It's more of a mindset than physical ability,' Brookins said. 'It's about keeping yourself in the moment—not looking ahead or dwelling on the past play. You can't assume anything. Any team can beat you at any given moment.' Coach Brookins also highlighted the excitement surrounding the team's journey, especially for players experiencing cross-country travel and national competition for the first time. 'I'm just excited for the moment,' Brookins said. 'We've put in the work, and they are enough to experience this opportunity. It's about taking it all in and enjoying the moment.' The Lady Indians will depart for Phoenix Friday, with their matchup scheduled for Monday, May 19. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
03-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service take part in annual aerial training ahead of dry summer months
Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service crews took part in an annual training program to learn how to coordinate aerial attacks on wildfires as California braces for another fire season. From lessons high in the sky to tactical training on the ground, what's learned in the classroom is now being put to the test. "It's the toughest thing I've done in a long time," said Capt. Keeton Brookins, a Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit air tactical group supervisor trainee. The California Aerial Supervision Academy is an annual training, drawing Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service crews from across the state. Their mission is to learn how to fight fires from above. Brookins observed from the ground before it was his turn to get up in the chopper. "We're operating in a fashion that most aircraft never operate in," Brookins said. "Very close quarters to each other, so that the coordination in that, and applying all of that to the ground." The role demands extreme focus and the ability to work under pressure. They're essentially air-traffic controllers in the sky, coordinating aircraft, relaying intel to ground crews, and making real-time decisions about where to drop water or retardant, often through heavy smoke and rugged terrain. "It's the hardest job to do and it's because of the mental factor, not the physical side," Brookins said. Cal Fire Chief Clint Blackmon said the training is critical ahead of the dry summer months. "It's giving them the slides and tools for them to be successful," Blackmon said. Eighteen students were a part of the training, many of whom will be working real fires this summer. The program is so advanced that it's even drawing international interest, with firefighters from Germany and Australia observing. "This class gives us the ability to, not only to for our students but for the pilots also to practice their skills and also get everyone ready for fire season," Blackmon said. To be certified, students like Brookins must complete a detailed task book and log over 100 hours flying over active fires. It's a training that demands perfection for the safety of every crew member, every single time.
Newsweek
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Gen X Mom's Message for Young Women Goes Viral—'Some Things Just Take Time'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Life certainly hasn't always been straightforward for Genoa Brookins, who got married in her mid-thirties and had her second child in her forties. It took a while to figure out the right path, but now she has an important message for younger generations who worry about not having their life sorted out quite yet. When she thinks back to her twenties, Brookins, now 45, remembers the constant pressure she felt. Whether it was finding the right job, life partner, or starting a family, it felt like there was a checklist she needed to complete, but things just weren't happening for her. By the age of 26, the Generation Xer (people born between 1965 and 1980) thought she'd be married and ready to start a family—but that wasn't her reality. She told Newsweek that she was "a late bloomer," and at the age of 29 she realized that her life would be different than she imagined. "I realized that maybe it wasn't in the plans for me and it kind of bummed me out because I was seeing all my friends get married and having kids. Then that's when things started happening. It was just a growth process," Brookins, of Boulder, Colorado said. Mom-of-two Chenoa Brookins, 45, styling her hair with curlers in a viral Instagram post. Mom-of-two Chenoa Brookins, 45, styling her hair with curlers in a viral Instagram post. @ / Instagram After leaving her twenties in the past, Brookins felt like the world finally opened up. She met her husband at the age of 31, and they were married two years later. She'd been in relationships that didn't work out, and there was no way Brookins wanted to settle for anything less than she deserved. In her view, waiting for the right partner "made all the difference." But that wasn't all that changed, as Brookins became a mom at 36, and had her second child aged 41. It wasn't her initial vision of starting a family by her mid-twenties, but she says that being an older mom taught her patience and wisdom. Now, the Gen X mom-of-two has shared her experience to show that life doesn't always work out as planned, and "some things just take time." She said: "There is no right or wrong, there is just a path, and it depends on how you perceive it. We change so much and there's so many opportunities for growth. It's OK to get married or have kids later in life, or not. Everyone's path is different. "There's just so many challenges that you face as a young person and to come out of the other side of it is a beautiful thing," Brookins continued. Aside from her personal life, it took Brookins years to discover what career she wanted and what she felt passionate about. She told Newsweek that she was "all over the place" throughout her twenties. She worked in a pharmacy before realizing that wasn't the right fit, then interned at a museum, went to law school and took the LSAT, before landing on being a hairstylist. Initially, she used social media to show off the hairstyles she created and to build a portfolio for her clients. Through the 2010s, she saw content creators utilize their social platforms to share everything from fashion to beauty, and by 2018 she decided she wanted to do the same. "I've built up an online community over time. It feels good to be vulnerable and to share that with a network of people. Other people have shared their stories with me too, and it's cool to know this isn't a rare thing and that a lot of people actually feel the same way," Brookins said. She continued: "Life doesn't always turn out how we expect, and it's nice to see someone who is older and been through it." Brookins regularly posts on Instagram (@ to share all things beauty, motherhood, and life in her forties. In February, she went viral after posting about how her life didn't play out how she imagined, but she couldn't be more grateful that she was patient. The post has now amassed over 4.8 million views and 90,400 likes on Instagram at the time of writing. It's also generated over 200 comments as social media users hailed her empowering message to younger generations. One comment on the post reads: "You inspire me in so many ways." Another Instagram user wrote: "This is so helpful, thank you for sharing!" Another commenter added: "Love seeing where this journey has taken you." While one person replied: "as someone in my 20s and stressed about life, I love seeing women like you share advice." Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Local softball players fueling Chipola's success
MARIANNA, Fla. (WMBB) – Five softball players from local high schools are helping lead the Chipola softball team to a strong season. Chipola head coach Kelly Brookins, a Liberty County High School and Chipola college softball alum, has entered her fourth season leading the program. As a Panhandle native herself, Brookins loves to recruit local talent. On Chipola's softball team this season are freshmen Lauren Grantham and Gabrie Flowers, along with sophomore Riley Read, who all went to Liberty County High School. Freshman Jadyn Riano and sophomore Olivia Spooner went to Marianna High School. 'Growing up, everyone at least knew of each other,' Flowers said. 'The connection was easy because we had competed before. There were plenty of moments of, 'Remember when we beat you?' It's all just friendly competition.' Many of the athletes had previously attended Chipola camps, where Brookins served as one of their first influences during childhood. 'At 12 years old, seeing a college coach was nerve-wracking,' Riano said. 'It has come full circle. Watching the older players back then and now stepping into their role is a surreal experience,' Spooner said. Even though they have all graduated high school, they never miss an opportunity to give back to their hometowns. 'My old high school and middle school visited to spend the day practicing with us,' Read said. 'It felt really special because now we're the older girls.' Chipola is 20-10 on the season and will visit Northwest Florida to compete for first place in the Panhandle Conference. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
20-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Alarm bells raised over young P.E.I. hockey players' use of smelling salts as performance boosters
Social Sharing A grandmother of minor hockey players is campaigning to get smelling salts banned from rinks across Prince Edward Island. Barbara Brookins has several grandchildren between the ages of nine and 15 playing minor hockey, so she spends a lot of time at rinks. Recently, she noticed an unusual product available in a vending machine at her home arena in Kensington. The bottles are labelled as "hockey smelling salts," and it turns out many young players are using the product under the belief that they are performance enhancers. "Smelling salts are not intended as a performance-enhancing medication [of] any kind, and even if they were, are we really promoting that our children use any type of performance enhancement?" Brookins said. "We're telling our children that it's OK to sniff ammonia." Product with a long history The use of smelling salts to revive people after fainting or otherwise losing consciousness dates back centuries, but today they are marketed toward athletes as an energy boost. They're also a common sight on the benches of National Hockey League teams. This month, Hockey Quebec banned the use of smelling salts, citing concern over their use by young players. The governing body published a directive stating the ammonia-based inhalants are no longer allowed during games, practices and organized activities. Health Canada said in a statement that it has not authorized the sale of any ammonia-based health products in the Canadian market for inhalation purposes. "Inhaling ammonia may pose significant health risks and may quickly lead to coughing, airway constriction, and eye, nose and throat irritation. Health Canada strongly advises consumers to not purchase or use unapproved inhalant products marketed for alertness and energy boosting," the agency's statement said. "Selling unauthorized health products or making false or misleading claims to prevent, treat or cure illnesses is illegal in Canada." 'These are impressionable kids' Brookins, who is also a registered nurse and the president of the P.E.I. Nurses' Union, says she was living "in a bubble" until recently when it came to the knowledge that smelling salts were for sale in Island rinks. She said the product most commonly used by health professionals for its intended purpose is a one-time-use snap capsule. The smelling salts sold in rink vending machines are large, reusable bottles. Concerns raised over young P.E.I. hockey players using smelling salts 16 hours ago Duration 2:48 A Prince Edward Island grandmother is waging a campaign to get smelling salts banned from Island hockey rinks. As CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports, Barbara Brookins has the attention of the province's chief public health officer and Hockey P.E.I. "It's not just a little sniff; you can hold it there for an extended period of time. Obviously the risks are higher the longer you're smelling it and the more you're using it," Brookins said. "These are impressionable kids who are seeing this as being an acceptable practice at the rink, and when you're the one kid in the dressing room who doesn't want to sniff the bottle, the peer pressure that you're going to take is not easy for them." That's a concern — particularly for those children who may be asthmatic. — Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer Brookins's campaign got the attention of P.E.I.'s chief public health officer and Hockey P.E.I. this week. Dr. Heather Morrison told CBC News that there is little scientific evidence that smelling salts enhance athletic performance. She said the CPHO has contacted Hockey P.E.I. to raise awareness about the potential for adverse health effects. "These smelling salts are really irritants for the mucus membranes in your nose and in your lungs," Morrison said. "That's a concern — particularly for those children who may be asthmatic, for instance. There's also reference that they may mask concussion symptoms." No policy at the moment In a statement to CBC News, Hockey P.E.I. said its priority is to provide a safe and healthy environment for participants on and off the ice. "Although we do not currently have a policy pertaining to stimulant products such as ammonia-based smelling salts, there are concerns with their use when not medically prescribed," the statement reads. "Hockey P.E.I. does not recommend use of these products and caution[s] parents to be aware and informed of the product availability." Meanwhile, it appears smelling salts won't be welcome back in at least one rink on P.E.I. A spokesperson for the City of Summerside said in an emailed statement that the products had been available in vending machines at Credit Union Place, but are now sold out. The spokesperson said he was told the supplier won't be restocking the item in the future. Health Canada said it has not received any reports of ammonia-based inhalants being sold at arenas in the country, but encouraged people to report incidents through its online complaint form. It says products approved for sale by Health Canada will have an eight-digit drug identification number, a natural product number or a homeopathic drug number. You can also check whether products have been authorized for sale by searching the drug product database and licensed natural health product database.
