Latest news with #JohnThompson
Reuters
3 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Report: UNC, Georgetown to begin home-and-home series in '25
May 28 - North Carolina and Georgetown basketball will play a home-and-home series beginning in the 2025-26 season, CBS Sports reported Wednesday. The first game is expected to be played in Chapel Hill, N.C., and scheduled sometime in December, per the report. North Carolina finished 24-14 in the 2024-25 season and was a controversial selection to the NCAA Tournament, where the Tar Heels defeated San Diego State in the First Four and lost to Ole Miss in the first round. Georgetown was 18-16 and played two games in the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament. The Hoyas lost to Nebraska in the second round. The Tar Heels and Hoyas have met seven times, with North Carolina holding a 4-3 edge. The teams played in the 1982 NCAA Tournament championship game, with legendary coaches John Thompson and Dean Smith squaring off. North Carolina, behind Final Four Most Outstanding Player James Worthy, won 63-62 in New Orleans. --Field Level Media
Irish Times
4 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Fiona Pender murder investigation: Gardaí conclude search of Offaly bogland
Gardaí have concluded a search of bogland in Offaly as part of the Fiona Pender murder investigation. Gardaí confirmed that the search and excavation for the missing woman's remains on lands at Graigue, Killeigh, finished on Tuesday evening. The operation took place over two days, near Ms Pender's native Tullamore, Co Offaly, which is a relatively short period for such operations in historical homicide cases. However, Garda sources said the search and dig was never expected to take any longer than 48 hours. READ MORE Early on Monday, Garda Headquarters confirmed the search had begun, adding the Pender case had been upgraded from a missing persons inquiry to a murder investigation . Ms Pender, a 25-year-old hairdresser, she was last seen at her flat on Church Street, Tullamore, early in the morning of Friday, August 23rd, 1996. The man who was in a relationship with Ms Pender when she vanished had criticised the initial Garda investigation, including the fact he was arrested for questioning, and that a farm slurry tank and well had not been searched. John Thompson, who has lived in Canada for many years, told gardaí Ms Pender had been in the flat when he left for work that morning. Despite a very significant search operation, including large sections of the Grand Canal being drained, no trace of Ms Pender has ever been found. She was seven months pregnant at the time and when she vanished a major Garda investigation got under way within days. Mr Thompson, who was the father of Ms Pender's unborn child, was angered by the fact gardaí appeared to base some of their investigation into her disappearance on a theory that he was somehow involved. 'It is just not good enough for them to suggest that we disposed of her and then leave it at that,' Mr Thompson, then aged 24 years, said in an interview with The Irish Times in August 1997 , a year after the disappearance, adding he took a 'dim view' of the fact he had been arrested. Mr Thompson spoke to The Irish Times four months after he had been arrested for questioning about the case, on suspicion of withholding information. He was one of five people – two men and three women – arrested at the same time in the Laois-Offaly region. They were all released without charge and none of them has been rearrested in the intervening 28 years. Despite the investigation into Ms Pender's disappearance having continued since 1996, and now being upgraded to a murder inquiry, no further arrests have ever been made. In his interview, Mr Thompson insisted gardaí had moved too slowly to begin their search when Ms Pender, who he was living with at the time, went missing. He said he did not want to be seen 'to be giving the guards the fingers... but the fact remains that she is still missing'. [ Fiona Pender murder: Can fresh searches unlock a case 29 years later? Opens in new window ] He pointed out that the slurry tank on his family farm had not been searched and that other locations had also not been checked. 'They [gardaí] will tell you that they searched high and low, but they did two searches on this farm and there is a well outside the door, and it was never searched. At the end of the day, Fiona is out there somewhere and it is their job to find her. I just want to highlight the fact that she is still missing.' He added that when he was arrested in April 1997, gardaí had no evidence to suggest he was involved in Ms Pender's disappearance, and he took a 'dim view' of the arrests made. Mr Thompson said at the time he was 'hopeful' that Ms Pender and their child, who would have been 10 months old in August 1997, were still alive. He found it hard to believe Ms Pender could disappear from a busy town like Tullamore and for the matter to remain unexplained. 'I feel that someone might have seen something, but is afraid,' he said. The Thompson family are farmers from a Church of Ireland background and Ms Pender's family are Catholics who lived on the Connolly Park local authority estate in Tullamore. Much was made of the different backgrounds they were from and that the Thompson family did not approve of the relationship. But Mr Thompson told The Irish Times that theory was 'not even worthy of comment... But I deny it.' He added: 'We are not bigots and nor are the Pender family.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Campers begin Memorial Day weekend celebrations
INDIANOLA, Iowa — Campsites are full as people begin their Memorial Day weekend festivities, and those looking to get a spot for the weekend had to plan ahead. Those hoping to snatch a camping spot for this weekend hopefully didn't wait till Friday. Aquahbi State Park and Campground is fully booked over the weekend and has been for a while. 'I was gonna say probably 2 1/2 months has been full because people know that you can reserve out 3 months in advance and they normally know the holidays they want to camp Memorial and Labor Day, and Fourth of July and they make sure that they are reserved for those times so yeah most of the holidays, they're probably all reserve now,' said John Thompson, Lake Ahquabi Campground Host. Ahquabi was recently renovated to make room for bigger campers, including more space to pull in and not as many low-hanging trees to get in the way. Families on the site say they were prepared and booked their space ahead of time. Now they plan to enjoy the long weekend. 'Yes, doing nothing. It's an absolutely enjoy. We sit around the fire until way too late at night. Way past my bedtime and just talk about things and what's going on, and our kids growing up and what they're doing and how that affects us,' said Al Hastings from Norwalk. 'Well, we are planning on getting water kayaking, but don't know if that's gonna happen but we will probably take the trail around the lake and do that maybe, I don't know, if we'll fish at all but hopefully get on the water kayaking and at least do the trail,' said Amy Havick from Norwalk. While spots might be difficult to come by on big weekends, campground host Thompson said it's not too difficult to get a spot during the week. Learn more about Lake Ahquabi State Park here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Special moment as William Stanley claims his maiden city win on Flying Embers at Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Former Central West apprentice William Stanley, whose tally of winners recently went beyond 100, posted his first city victory at Royal Randwick on Saturday thanks to a gritty and determined local, Flying Embers. Stanley was the obvious choice for Flying Ember's trainer John Thompson, not only but mostly owing to the hoop's near faultless record on the mare which prior to Saturday's Midway Handicap was two wins and a nose second from three shared assignments. Their previous two wins were by bigger margins each time but none showcased the mare's desire more than this one given she was forced to race three-wide with no cover from her wide draw. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Despite her less favourable run in transit, Flying Embers ($3.40 fav) took control of the race inside the final 200m, fending off a typically brave Danish Prince ($12) with Kembla mare Callistemon ($8) finishing best of the rest. 'Big thanks to John and the team, they've given me a lot of support throughout my moving to Newcastle. I couldn't be happier,' Stanley said. 'I planned on being one-out, one-back, even three pairs one-off, but it was just the way it unfolded. 'She travelled well through the wet and the favourite led, and I didn't want it to give it too much of a lead and she bounced along nicely.' • 'Very easy watch': Agarwood dominates juvenile opener Flying Embers was born and raised at Arrowfield Stud who offered the mare (as agent) at the Magic Millions sale in 2023 where she was secured by Prime Thoroughbreds for $100,000. The daughter of Shalaa is already showing a tidy profit as a racehorse but should make plenty of appeal to breeders later on given her dam is a half-sister to Ortensia. Other notable family members include the sibling trio of Bint Marscay, Filante and Kenny's Best Pal. 'She's a really nice filly,' Thompson said. 'I actually think she doesn't like the wet but she just tries so hard and pushes her way through it. 'I think on top of the ground, she'll show a better turn of foot.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ A Pound Of Salt again demonstrated size doesn't matter when he burst through the pack to score a spectacular win at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Most of his TAB Highway rivals towered over the diminutive A Pound Of Salt but his win in the 1200m spring showed he's 'big' on ability. Trainer Todd Howlett admitted when A Pound Of Salt first came to his stables he never expected the horse to be good enough to win a Highway. 'When I got him, I didn't expect he would win a Highway because he was such a little 'fella',' Howlett said. 'But for an unassuming little horse, what he does is try his hardest every time and that is a great habit for him to have. • World famous Dapto dogs to be shut down 'He's also got a very good turn of foot which he showed today.' A Pound Of Salt ($6.50) looked to be in a tough spot back inside horses coming around the turn but Zac Lloyd was able to navigate a path through the field and he swept clear late to score by a widening one-and-a-quarter lengths. Super Norwest ($5 favourite) ran on for second, just in front of Plenitude ($6.50). Howlett said A Pound Of Salt might emerge as a 'country cups horse' before praising's Lloyd's winning ride. Lloyd, who rode his first city winner for the month on A Pound Of Salt, said it wasn't his plan to get that far back on settling down. 'I was happy to stay on him today because I didn't give the horse a great ride last start, I gave him too much to do,' Lloyd said. 'So today I went 'underneath' to help the horse but I didn't want to get that far back but he was run off his feet early. 'I was a bit concerned because it is hard to make up ground on these tracks but he did a great job.' Originally published as Flying Embers burns bright in Randwick Midway to give apprentice William Stanley his first city success
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Flying Embers burns bright in Randwick Midway to give apprentice William Stanley his first city success
Former Central West apprentice William Stanley, whose tally of winners recently went beyond 100, posted his first city victory at Royal Randwick on Saturday thanks to a gritty and determined local, Flying Embers. Stanley was the obvious choice for Flying Ember 's trainer John Thompson, not only but mostly owing to the hoop's near faultless record on the mare which prior to Saturday's Midway Handicap was two wins and a nose second from three shared assignments. Their previous two wins were by bigger margins each time but none showcased the mare's desire more than this one given she was forced to race three-wide with no cover from her wide draw. Despite her less favourable run in transit, Flying Embers ($3.40 fav) took control of the race inside the final 200m, fending off a typically brave Danish Prince ($12) with Kembla mare Callistemon ($8) finishing best of the rest. 'Big thanks to John and the team, they've given me a lot of support throughout my moving to Newcastle. I couldn't be happier,' Stanley said. 'I planned on being one-out, one-back, even three pairs one-off, but it was just the way it unfolded. 'She travelled well through the wet and the favourite led, and I didn't want it to give it too much of a lead and she bounced along nicely.' ðŸ'¥ Flying Embers does enough in a tough win at Randwick! @JTRacingRwik â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 • 'Very easy watch': Agarwood dominates juvenile opener Flying Embers was born and raised at Arrowfield Stud who offered the mare (as agent) at the Magic Millions sale in 2023 where she was secured by Prime Thoroughbreds for $100,000. The daughter of Shalaa is already showing a tidy profit as a racehorse but should make plenty of appeal to breeders later on given her dam is a half-sister to Ortensia. Other notable family members include the sibling trio of Bint Marscay, Filante and Kenny's Best Pal. 'She's a really nice filly,' Thompson said. 'I actually think she doesn't like the wet but she just tries so hard and pushes her way through it. 'I think on top of the ground, she'll show a better turn of foot.' â– â– â– â– â– A Pound Of Salt again demonstrated size doesn't matter when he burst through the pack to score a spectacular win at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Most of his TAB Highway rivals towered over the diminutive A Pound Of Salt but his win in the 1200m spring showed he's 'big' on ability. Trainer Todd Howlett admitted when A Pound Of Salt first came to his stables he never expected the horse to be good enough to win a Highway. 'When I got him, I didn't expect he would win a Highway because he was such a little 'fella',' Howlett said. 'But for an unassuming little horse, what he does is try his hardest every time and that is a great habit for him to have. A Pound Of Salt takes out the Highway at Randwick @Howlettracing_ @ZacLloydx â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) May 24, 2025 • World famous Dapto dogs to be shut down 'He's also got a very good turn of foot which he showed today.' A Pound Of Salt ($6.50) looked to be in a tough spot back inside horses coming around the turn but Zac Lloyd was able to navigate a path through the field and he swept clear late to score by a widening one-and-a-quarter lengths. Super Norwest ($5 favourite) ran on for second, just in front of Plenitude ($6.50). Howlett said A Pound Of Salt might emerge as a 'country cups horse' before praising's Lloyd's winning ride. Lloyd, who rode his first city winner for the month on A Pound Of Salt, said it wasn't his plan to get that far back on settling down. 'I was happy to stay on him today because I didn't give the horse a great ride last start, I gave him too much to do,' Lloyd said. 'So today I went 'underneath' to help the horse but I didn't want to get that far back but he was run off his feet early. 'I was a bit concerned because it is hard to make up ground on these tracks but he did a great job.'
