Latest news with #TheBaltimoreSun
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Tiger Woods' son Charlie gets Jack Nicklaus comment as US Open star disqualified
The US Open is rapidly approaching, and some have been left heartbroken after missing out in qualifying, while Tiger Woods' son Charlie has been given a stark warning by Jack Nicklaus The line-up for the 125th US Open at Oakmont Country Club is nearly complete, but some big names have failed to make the cut. Rickie Fowler and Max Homa will be missing from the action in Pennsylvania later this month after falling foul of 'golf's longest day.' Meanwhile, a UPS driver missed out on the chance to complete the 36-hole Final Qualifying due to an unusual circumstance. In other news, Tiger Woods ' son Charlie has been causing a stir following his debut win at the American Junior Golf Association event in Florida. Despite starting his first AJGA Invitational ranked outside the top 600, he now sits at No. 14 and has received some sage advice from golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. Jason Day also had a peculiar mishap this month, while Ian Poulter was another casualty of the US Open qualifying process. Here's the latest from the world of golf. UPS driver's US Open disqualification A 31-year-old UPS driver secured a spot in a final 36-hole qualifier at Woodmont Country Club on Monday, with hopes of making it to Oakmont. However, a devastating mistake put an end to his dream early. Nick Barrett shot an opening 73 during 'golf's longest day,' having qualified for the event last month after carding a 68 in local stages. But as playing partners Cole Miller and Jason Li headed to the scorer's tent to sign their cards, Barrett was nowhere to be found. "I stood up after I had a hot dog or something at lunch, and I felt my back pocket, and I felt the scorecard in there, and as soon as I did that, my heart went straight to the bottom of my stomach," he told The Baltimore Sun. The delivery driver had failed to sign and return his scorecard in a timely manner and was disqualified, as any chance of competing in the US Open vanished. "It's kind of hard to express, but just disappointment in myself because at the end of the day, it is my responsibility as a player," he continued. "I can't blame anybody but me. It's just a total gut punch." Jason Day's 'freak' accident Former USPGA champion Day will likely lead a strong Australian contingent at this month's US Open despite being plagued by injuries recently. Day missed the cut at the PGA Championship after a back problem affected his preparation, and was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament after a 'freak' accident injured his wrist. "Long story short, I was moving a bike and something popped in my (left) wrist," he told The Loop podcast. "I couldn't move it for at least a week, week and a half. It's a two-to-four week wrist injury. It's not going to be, like you're going to have it and overnight it's going to get better. "It's getting better now. The way that I moved it, it was just like one of those freak accidents. It felt like I had tendonitis in there for like two or three weeks. So when that happened, I was just like, it was bound to happen at some point." Charlie Woods warned by Jack Nicklaus In the wake of Woods, son of 15-time major champion Tiger, clinching his first AJGA title and making a name for himself as an up-and-coming star, many have weighed in on whether the youngster can thrive under his father's colossal shadow. Nicklaus, who has won 18 majors himself, has now given his opinion. He compared the situation to when his own son, Gary, began his professional career and found the spotlight and expectations at such a tender age overwhelming. "It ran him out of golf," Nicklaus started, referring to his son's experiences to AP. "Gary would get off the 18th and run to the car so he didn't have to talk to the press for about two years. I think it's tough on kids. It's difficult for them. It's even tougher today. Charlie is a nice little player. He's got a beautiful little golf swing. Does he want to follow his father? Does he realise what's going on? "My kids played because they wanted to play, not because I wanted them to play," Nicklaus stated, before discussing the lesson he imparted to his children. "That was sort of my rule of the house. Don't play golf because of me, play golf because that's what you want to do." Ian Poulter's US Open pride British Ryder Cup and LIV Golf star Poulter was left in anguish as his son Luke narrowly missed out on a spot at Oakmont after an intense play-off at the US Open's Final Qualifying. Despite not playing himself, Poulter was closely following the action where his 20-year-old son, a University of Florida talent, faced Austen Truslow in a nail-biting play-off showdown at Emerald Dunes Golf Club. The young golfer's dreams were dashed when opponent Truslow clinched victory with a birdie on the second extra hole, ending Luke's hopes of making it to the US Open. However, his father remained full of pride, taking to social media to express his admiration: "Luke lost on the second extra playoff hole to a birdie. I can't believe how impressive today's 65 was to get him in that position. We keep using this incredible experience, and we keep getting better."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
7 things to know about former Baltimore restaurateur Gregory Pranzo: ‘rats in the dining room,' unpaid bills
In December 2024, staff at Baltimore's Docks on the Harbor restaurant woke up to find the eatery had closed overnight. The owner, New York-native Gregory Pranzo, would later be accused of emptying the restaurant of furniture, fixtures and decor, in a lawsuit filed by Baltimore-based developer Cordish Cos. Over several weeks of investigation, The Baltimore Sun found Pranzo launched multiple restaurants across six states and then abruptly closed them, leaving staff, business partners or landlords behind, along with millions of dollars in unpaid bills. The full story ran in print Sunday (and is online here: but here's a quick take on what you should know about Pranzo's business practices. Celebrity partner: Pranzo has opened and closed restaurants in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, New York and Connecticut over the last decade. He routinely partners with celebrities — including Guy Fieri, Mario Lopez and *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick — and he has opened multiple franchises of Wahlburgers' restaurants, the Wahlberg-brother-owned burger chain (Donnie, Mark and their celebrity chef brother Paul). All save two of Pranzo's restaurants have closed, many racking up debt and health code violations along the way. Pests in food storage areas: In Baltimore, Docks on the Harbor also earned a closure order from the city's health department after an August 2024 inspection, that followed a customer's complaint about 'rats in the dining room.' Inspectors found 31 health code violations, including clouds of gnats, evidence of rodents and other pests in food storage areas, and a lack of water that prevented staff from washing their hands. The restaurant re-opened two days later, having satisfied most of the city's requirements. Health-related restaurant closure: Pranzo's Raleigh, North Carolina, Wahlburgers franchise was shut down after the department found his restaurant had lacked hot water for more than three months. The restaurant chose to close instead of immediately fixing the problem, and was evicted for nonpayment of rent before it could reopen. Multiple lawsuits: In Connecticut, Pranzo was sued by food vendor Sysco Connecticut LLC for an unpaid bill topping $30,000. Records show Pranzo has never responded to the suit and made no payments. In Georgia, Pranzo was sued by his former business partners, Finer Food Services, for more than $2 million. According to the agreement, signed by Pranzo, he admitted 'that he withdrew this sum over time from [Finer Food Services] and/or the [Finer Food Services subsidiaries] without the knowledge and/or consent of … majority member and manager, Barry Bierenbaum.' Unpaid judgments: The court ordered Pranzo to repay his partners, however, their lawyer said he has been unable to enforce the judgments. And in Florida, Pranzo is named in a lawsuit in district court, which alleges that he violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a federal law that bans businesses from using phones or fax machines for unsolicited advertisements. In that 2019 suit, Pranzo was accused of spamming fax machines with more than 125,000 unsolicited faxes over two years to advertise the opening of an Atlanta Wahlburgers. The case is ongoing. Docks on the Harbor property: In Baltimore, a civil suit against Pranzo by Cordish Cos. alleges Pranzo 'plundered' hundreds of thousands of dollars in fixtures from his Baltimore restaurant early one morning, walking away with tables and chairs, signage, stoves, refrigerators, decor and more. The lawsuit alleges that Pranzo was caught on security camera footage between the hours of 1 and 7 a.m. on Dec. 9 emptying out the restaurant space he rented from Cordish. $3.2 million lease allegedly unfulfilled: Pranzo also skipped out on a lease valued at about $3.2 million through 2032, a court document filed by Cordish's legal team alleges. Past-due charges between October and early December totaled more than $130,000 for rent and trash, water/sewer and HVAC service, per an account statement. Cordish's lawsuit argues Pranzo emptied out the restaurant with the intent to defraud. 'Pranzo's bad intent is readily evidenced by the midnight timing,' the suit reads. 'Why hide under the cover of night, unless he was following the playbook of Bob Irsay stealing the Colts in a Mayflower truck?' Lorraine Mirabella contributed reporting to this story. Have a news tip? Contact Kate Cimini at The Baltimore Sun, at (443) 842-2621 or kcimini@
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump is freezing flood prevention funds in Maryland's most at-risk areas, like Ellicott City, documents show
BALTIMORE — Mark Hemmis still can't bear to watch a YouTube compilation of harrowing 911 emergency calls from Ellicott City residents as brown water rushed down Main Street carrying cars and debris during the deadly 2016 flooding. 'I can't get more than 90 seconds into it. It's unbelievably hard to listen to,' said Hemmis, whose restaurant had to relocate up the street to accommodate flood prevention efforts. In 2018, the historic downtown endured another catastrophic storm. Now, nine years later, two pieces of the city's ambitious flood mitigation plan — stormwater retention ponds funded by $10 million in low-interest loans — are being paused by the Trump administration's Federal Emergency Management Agency as it assesses the value of such disaster prevention projects. According to documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun, FEMA is also canceling as much as $150 million in additional funding designed to reduce flood potential and damage in some of Maryland's most at-risk areas, including South Baltimore and the cities of Cambridge and Crisfield on the Eastern Shore. In Crisfield, a flood-prone, Chesapeake Bay community in which most residents are supporters of President Donald Trump, the loss of multi-year grants totaling as much as $72 million 'is really disheartening. It means everything,' said Mayor Darlene Taylor. 'We've had businesses ruined. Some of the homes don't have insurance.' In picturesque Ellicott City, the pausing of low-interest loans for the large retention ponds is seen by residents as another barrier to overcome in a resilient town that experienced two devastating floods within 22 months. 'I don't know enough about national politics to know what DOGE's plans are,' said Hemmis, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting organization headed by billionaire Elon Musk. Hemmis purchased an old brick property in 2020 and moved his restaurant there, now called Phoenix Upper Main. The site of his former restaurant is now a park. Hemmis remains committed to Ellicott City. 'The (Howard County) Safe and Sound program will move forward. The tunnel is underway,' he said. A mile-long tunnel, targeted for completion in 2027, is designed to move 26,000 gallons of water per second from the city's West End to the Patapsco River, diverting it away from Main Street. The tunnel is funded in part by a $75 million low-interest loan that was secured through a federal program in 2022, before Trump began his second term. Trump 'seems to have a weird fascination with anything that has the words 'climate' or 'environmental justice' attached,' said U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, a Democrat whose district includes Ellicott City. 'We're seeing increased flooding again across this country. Rising tides don't recognize who is president. They don't care which is a red district or a blue district.' Many of the now-scrapped projects were either funded or in the application or review phase of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program administered by FEMA. FEMA, headed by Trump appointee Kristi Noem, canceled the program last month, calling it 'yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.' Any program grant money not already distributed — amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars — 'will be immediately returned either to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury,' FEMA's announcement said. The BRIC program was created by FEMA during the Republican Trump's first term. It became vulnerable because it was associated with climate change mitigation —a politically volatile issue within Trump's administration —while Democrat Joe Biden was in office. Affected projects include the Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative, designed to reduce flooding in the area around MedStar Harbor Hospital in South Baltimore. About $5.2 million was previously awarded as Phase 1, 'but the remaining $26 million for Phase 2 had not yet been awarded' under the now-canceled program, said an April memorandum of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management that was obtained by The Sun. Other affected areas include Crisfield, which for years called itself 'the Seafood Capital of the World.' Its downtown is regularly inundated by water. Main Street businesses must close during heavy floods. Crisfield was seeking two flood mitigation grants from FEMA of about $36 million apiece. One was applied for by the state Department of Emergency Management but was not awarded. The other is listed in the agency's memorandum among those that can't be applied for 'due to the cancellation of the BRIC program.' A $16 million project to protect against major storms in Cambridge, a Dorchester County waterfront community, was also derailed for the same reason, the agency said. Crisfield's plan is 'basically to build a sea wall around our community,' Taylor said. For two years, she said, the city held biweekly meetings with FEMA contractors and others to work out technical details of the plan. 'It was really key to our survivability,' she said. 'Businesses are reluctant to come here because the flooding is so frequent and so severe.' U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat, raised the Crisfield examples during a May 1 committee hearing, calling them 'very, very heartbreaking.' Communities 'spend years planning, and these not only make them safer through flood mitigation but it also contributes significantly to their economies,' the senator said. Asked for comment about the Maryland projects, FEMA sent The Sun a general statement similar to the one released by the agency when it cancelled the BRIC program. 'Under Secretary Noem's leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need,' it said. Flood-prone Ellicott City is in a valley near the Patapsco River. Heavy rains in 2011, 2016 and 2018 caused major flooding in the historic district, killing three people and leaving behind massive destruction. The two retention ponds are part of a multi-year flood prevention effort costing well over $100 million. The plan includes five total ponds, a culvert project, and the tunnel. Howard County officials received approval in December for two $5 million, low-interest loans secured through the state before Trump took office in January. But closing on the loans — which are separate from the BRIC program — is on hold pending FEMA review and approval, according to Safa Hira, director of communications for Howard County Government. 'We are disappointed that the $10 million to support the NC-3 and T-1 Pond projects is currently being held and reviewed by FEMA, said Felix Facchine, deputy chief of staff to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, a Democrat. 'While this funding is under review, we remain committed to advancing all components of the Safe and Sound Plan to safeguard Ellicott City from future flash floods.' Neither Hemmis nor Carrie Foley, the restaurant's general manager, blamed Trump or anybody else for the funding delay. 'I hope that resolves itself, but honestly, I know there are so many other things that are going on,' Foley said. 'I have faith that things will work out. This town has been here long before us, it'll be here long after. I think that's important.' ------------
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Black leaders see politics at play in Maryland governor's reparations veto
BALTIMORE — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's veto of a bill related to reparations payments for the descendants of slaves has raised eyebrows among some Black leaders in Baltimore. Moore vetoed Senate Bill 587 on May 16, which would have launched a two-year study into whether the state should provide reparations to those affected by the state's history of slavery and inequality. In a letter explaining the veto, Maryland's first Black governor wrote that he supports the work of the proponents but does not believe it's the right 'time for another study.' Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, senior pastor at Baltimore's Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, said his initial reaction to the veto was 'great disappointment.' Members of his congregation have 'been praying their whole lives' for some way to address historic injustices, Turner told The Baltimore Sun. Turner, who led marches calling on President Joe Biden to sign an executive order establishing a federal reparations commission, views the study as a necessary step to securing 'repair' for Black communities. and used food analogies to make this point. He said acting on reparations with the foresight of studies versus without them is the 'difference between going to the grocery store knowing what you want to make or going to the grocery store just because.' 'By having a [study] commission, you're really trying to see what the people you're serving are starving from,' Turner said. 'What is it that they need to eat versus what you want them to eat?' The reverend believes any reparations study must be clearly aimed at addressing 'harm-based remedies,' as the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard found most affirmative action programs to be unconstitutional. 'Because of the Supreme Court case with affirmative action, you can't have race-based remedies anymore,' Turner said. 'But you can have harm-based remedies, and the commission is best designed to develop a study to present harm-based remedies.' Dayvon Love, public policy director of Baltimore-based grassroots advocacy group Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, said that at the beginning of 2025, he would have been 'surprised' by Moore vetoing a reparations study bill. But during meetings with Moore during this year's legislative session, Love told The Baltimore Sun he became convinced that 'the governor's office was trying to kill the bill.' 'I was very candid that it is my belief that the triangulation on the issue of reparations is a political calculation based on the fact that reparations is extremely unpopular amongst white folks. The veto in some ways, confirmed some of my suspicions,' Love said. Love pointed to a 2022 Pew Research poll that found, while 77% of Black Americans support reparations for the descendants of slaves, just 18% of white Americans said the same. He suggested strong actions on reparations would jeopardize Moore's 'political brand' as a leader who is 'palatable to the white mainstream.' 'For the letter to say he wants to act now, that doesn't square with the fact that I know my organization presented actual policy prescriptions and we were told that they weren't inclined to move on them,' Love said. 'I think, to be honest, he does not want to be associated with the radical Black nationalist movements [from] which the reparations demand emerges.' Anson Asaka, senior associate general counsel at the NAACP, expressed disappointment with Moore's veto and called on the Maryland General Assembly to override it. 'I hope that the Maryland Legislature overrides his veto,' Asaka wrote on Facebook. 'It is sad to see the Governor disregard his base to tap dancing for [those] who are never going to support him.' Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott did not address Moore's veto directly or call on General Assembly Democrats to override it, but he did express a desire to see reparations discussed at the federal level. 'Anybody that doesn't understand that African Americans in this country are owed a lot… sh ould really have a deeper thought,' Scott said during his May 21 news conference. Green Party gubernatorial candidate Andy Ellis, who is white, has made reparations for Black citizens a key component of his platform. Ellis previously suggested Moore 'hoped' he never had to take a strong position on reparations so he wouldn't become politically burdened by the issue if he runs for president in 2028 — an ambition the governor has publicly denied. 'If he's serious, let him step off the national TV circuit and debate real solutions right here in Maryland,' Ellis said of Moore in a statement. 'The clock is ticking on reparations, climate justice, data centers and energy security, and Maryland deserves leadership, not excuses.' The reparations veto also compelled a South Carolina lawmaker, state Rep. John King, to call for Moore to be disinvited from Blue Palmetto Dinner — the governor will be the event's keynote speaker on Friday, May 30. The dinner is a frequent stop for Democratic presidential candidates given the early timing of South Carolina's primary elections and the large Black voter base in the state. 'We must make it clear that symbolism without substance is no longer acceptable,' King wrote in an open letter to the South Carolina Democratic Party. 'Representation means nothing if it does not come with a commitment to repair the harms inflicted by systemic racism and slavery.' Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., pastor emeritus at Union Baptist Church, said that Moore 'proverbially grabbed the bull by the horns' by vetoing the reparations package but still agreeing that a 'debt is owed,' referencing Black Americans who contributed to 'the early stages of the B&O Railroad and started the Industrial Revolution.' Hathaway urged Moore to specify how to address the different disparities that Black Americans in Maryland face. 'All eyes are on him,' he said. 'Not only here locally within the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, but nationally, as the only African American governor. What are the actions you're going to take for what we know has been a historic wrong? So to me, there's no wiggle room.' --------------
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ocean City council moves to ban some tents, canopies from beaches
As Memorial Day approaches, Ocean City is moving forward with efforts to limit the number and size of tents on its beaches. The Ocean City Town Council on Monday approved an ordinance on first reading to ban beach tents and put restrictions on canopies after complaints from beachgoers. A first reading of an ordinance means the item is introduced to the council. The council will now refer the item to subcommittees and boards for review and recommendations. The proposed ban arose from an increasing number of tents on the beach during peak times during the summer, according to city officials. Some visitors and residents are upset about people setting up large 'front row' areas early in the morning and leaving tents unattended for hours. Officials said there are also concerns that the tents could obscure the visibility of life guards, which could create a safety issue. As a result, the council initially approved banning tents on the beach at all times. The ban allows an exception for 3-by-3-by-3-foot-maximum 'baby' tents. Canopies would also be prohibited from being set up and left unattended before lifeguards go on duty at 10 a.m. Beachgoers could set up canopies before that time, but they would have to be occupied. There is also a requirement that all canopy-anchoring systems be under the canopy roof. There would be no restrictions on the sizes of canopies. However, the council requested two amendments for second reading – canopies can be no larger than 10-by-10 feet and canopies must have at least 3-feet of separation on all sides to allow people to walk between them. 'The city has received [an] increasing number of complaints related to tents and canopies on the beach,' Ocean City manager Terry McGean wrote in an email to The Baltimore Sun. 'There are also issues with extended rope anchoring systems that further restrict where folks can sit on the beach and lots of folks trip over.' Ocean City officials reported that about 750 tents abandoned on the beach were collected by maintenance crews last year. Some visitors, such as Phoenix resident Nicole Ripken, whose family owns a condominium at The Atlantis on Coastal Highway, said the proposed ban was a bit excessive. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
