FAIRMONT– Due to an extreme heat warning forecasted for this afternoon, and out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of the participants, spectators, and volunteers, the decision to cancel today’s Fairmont Youth Triathlon has been made.

However, hard work is still being celebrated with a pool part from 4 to 6 p.m. at the

Fairmont Aquatic Park. There race bags and t-shirts will be available for pickup and will be mailed to participants who cannot make it.

O’Scoops Food Truck will still be on site with sweet treats and snacks and Marty C. Pig will be there as well.

The Fairmont Youth Triathlon Team thanks everyone for their understanding and is looking forward to seeing many at the pool.

JAMESTOWN CAL RIPKEN

Tarp Skunks beat Cusimano Collision 7-3.

For Cusimano Collision, Izyk Pacheco and Trenton Johnson each had big hits. Pacheco and Easton Nary pitched well on the mound.

For the Tarp Skunks, Owen Johnson had three strikeouts, Johnny Lamancuso had two and Sawyer Anderson closed it out with five strikeouts.

Lamancuso, Anderson, Nicholas Lewis and Leo Bell all had RBIs.

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Shults Auto Group defeated Lions Club 12-2 and 9-2 in a doubleheader.

Leading Shults with multiple hits in both games were Eli Rodriguez, Colton Martin, Oakland Snow, Bryson Stone, Rocco Yarber, Niko Yarber and Jordan Berg.

For Lions Club, Alvie Peterson, Nikko Knight and Emmitt Silliman had multiple hits in both games.

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Kiwanis beat Rodger’s Surveying 7-1.

For Kiawanis, Joey Lombardo had two hits in the win. Also having hits were Rocco Hammond, PJ Zahm and Dom Pappalardo. Santino Yarber had nine strikeouts on the mound.

In the loss, Jacoby Genco had the lone hit for Rodger’s Surveying. On the mound, Jacoby Genco had five strikeouts while Paxton Nickerson collected four strikeouts.

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Lewis & Lewis earned a victory over Uber Law Office.

Leading the offense was Kingston Holland with four hits and Grayson Beebe with two hits. Liam Sostre and Eli DeVileger had two hits apiece.

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Kiwanis beat Cusimano Carstar 5-1.

Leading the way pitching were Santino Yarber and Joey Lombardo with six strikeouts apiece.

Producing the offense were Rocco Hammond and Nathan Klemens with two hits apiece. Yarber, Lombardo and Zahm each had a hit in the win.

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JACFSU earned a 1-0 win over Uber Law Office.

Leading the offense for JACFSU was Asher Anderson with two hits. Chipping in with hits were Hudson Anderson, Jet Ferrara, Orion Hitchcock, Mateo Rodriguez and Liam McAdoo.

For Uber Law Office, Grayson Beebe, Kingston Holland, Elias Foust, Quentin Thomas and Kain Price each had two hits.

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Lena’s Pizza earned a 13-4 victory over Ballgame Heroes.

Leading the offense with three hits was Prestyn Michael. Chipping in with two hits were Ethan Heppler and Ian Chapman. Ayden Faulkner had a two-RBI day.

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Shults Auto group defeated JACFSU 10-1.

Leading Shults were Brennna Paterniti and Tommy Paterniti with three hits apiece. Also with multiple hits were Cyrus Strudwick, Bryson Stone, Colton Martin, Eli Rodriguez, Oakland Snow, Rocco and Niko Yarber.

For JACFSU, Orion Hitchcock, Liam McAdoo, Declan Murray had multiple hits.

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Cusimano’s Collision had the bats rolling as they defeated Rodger’s Surveying 9-4.

Izyk Pacheco led Cusimano’s offense with two hits and four RBIs. Easton Nary and Oliver Fisher also each had two hits. Joey Paterniti, Trenton Johnson and Matthew Wolfe each contributed a hit. Joey Paterniti and Izyk Pacheco combined on the mound to strike out 10 opposing batters in the winning effort.

For Rodger’s Surveying, Hudson Slojkowski had two hits while Jacoby Genco, Landon Conti and Sebasthon DePaul each had hits. Jacoby Genco collected five strikeouts on the mound.

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Kiwanis beat the Tarp Skunks 7-3.

Santino Yarber pitched a two-inning gem with five strikeouts, Joey Lombardo and Dom Pappalardo also pitched well. PJ Zahm led the offense with a two-run single.

For the Tarp Skunks, Johnny Lamancuso had a two-run single. Kaleb Ormsby had two strikeouts on the mound while Sawyer Anderson had four.

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Shults Auto Group defeated Lions Club 8-4.

Leading Shults were Bryson Stone and Eli Rodriguez with four hits apiece. Oakland Snow and Colton Martin added to the cause with three hits apiece.

For Lions Club, Jaxon Matey had three hits and Emmitt Silliman added four hits with three doubles.

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Jamestown Area Federal Credit Union and Shults Auto Group played to a 6-6 tie.

Asher Anderson, Hudson Anderson and Orion Hitchcock led the way for JAFCU with three hits apiece while Zyan Anderson had some nice plays in the field.

Shults Auto Group was led by Bryson Stone with a double and a triple, Rocco Yarber with two doubles and Oakland Snow with two singles. Tommy Paternitti had a nice play in the field.

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Jamestown Area Federal Credit Union defeated Lewis & Lewis 10-5.

For JAFCU, Asher Anderson had three hits, including a double; Hudson Anderson and Orion Hitchcock each had two hits; and Ben Darling, Declan Murray and Zyan Anderson all went 4 for 4.

For Lewis & Lewis, Taylyn Hannold went 3 for 4 with some nice stops at third base. Elliot Panebianco went 3 for 3 with some big plays at shortstop.

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Kiwanis tied Rodger’s Surveying 4-4.

For Kiwanis, Santino Yarber and Rocco Hammond had two hits apiece while Joey Lombardo, Nathan Klemmens and Dom Pappalardo each had a hit.

For Rodger’s Surveying, Dominick Robbins, Easton Tobias, Landon Conti, Sebasthon DePaul and Oliver Schnars collected hits. Jacoby Genco had two strong innings of pitching with five strikeouts.

Nike is unveiling its latest N7 Collection, which celebrates Indigenous communities through essential daily sportswear silhouettes that showcase Native culture for generations to come.

The collection features a suite of complementary apparel styles, as well as cherished colorways of the Nike Dunk Low and Free Forward Moc 2. Each of the apparel and footwear staples feature subtle nods to Native culture, speaking to Nike’s ongoing commitment to uplifting Indigenous communities through N7.

“Nike N7 is all about supporting the next generation of Native athletes,” says SilentRain Espinoza, an Atlanta Smoke softball player who features in the new N7 campaign. “This collection is a reminder of something I realized in college: that I’m playing for more than myself, inspiring the next generation of Native athletes as an example and a role model.”

The new N7 apparel includes a unisex Club pullover hoodie, crew T-shirt and Club Flow mesh short alongside a 7/8-length Nike One women’s tight. The white tops and black bottoms, all adorned with a multicolor N7 logo, offer multiple styling options for daily wear.

The Dunk Low turquoise colorway was designed exclusively for the N7 Collection, while the Free Forward Moc 2 brings back a beloved moccasin-inspired design from 2014. Both include a nod to N7 on the tongue, and the Free Forward Moc 2 also features a geometric N7 footbed design.

SilentRain and Ryan Helsley are the faces of the new N7 campaign, underscoring Nike’s commitment to uplifting Indigenous athletes and ensuring the next generation of Native youth see themselves represented in sport and culture. The campaign features a gritty, wheat paste art backdrop born from Nike’s collaboration with Indigenous artists, reflecting their shared work to explore themes of Native identity and voices in contemporary spaces and contexts.

“My goal is to be someone that kids from my hometown can look up to, showing them that they can make their dreams come true no matter who they are,” says Ryan, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. “Nike embraces that mission through N7, which is meant to reach the next generation of Native athletes, speaking directly to them and their communities. That dedication really drove me to want to be a part of this season’s collection.”

The release of the collection and its campaign is timed to National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. It also follows the announcement of the 2025 N7 Fund grantees, which share the brand’s commitment to moving the world forward through the power of sport.

Through the N7 Fund, Nike invests in nonprofits that serve Indigenous communities in North America. Since 2022, Nike has invested $625,000 in grants annually through the N7 Fund, administered by CAF America, to nonprofits that are powering the future of youth sport. This investment continues the legacy of Nike’s support for Indigenous communities through the N7 Fund and other grants, totaling $13.4 million to more than 300 organizations since 2009.

The 2025 N7 Fund grantees will include 4 The Future Foundation, Aboriginal Sport Circle, Alaska Native Heritage Center Native Youth Olympics, American Indian Health & Family Services, Ballet Arizona, Cheyenne River Youth Project, Homegrown Lacrosse, Inter Tribal Sports, Kāpili Like, Native American Community Academy Foundation, Right To Play Canada, Rise Above Inc., Spirit North, The Destiny Program, The Notah Begay III Foundation, Urban Native Youth Association and Wings of America.

Nonprofit organizations can apply each year for a grant from the N7 Fund. Organizations will be able to apply for 2026 N7 Fund grants beginning November 1, 2025.

The latest Nike N7 Collection will be available in the U.S. and Canada on June 21 at nike.com and select retail locations.

The city of Atmore will never be the same.

Atmore Cal Ripken League President and Johnson Insurance Owner Murray Johnson passed away Wednesday night in his home with his family by his side. He was 86 years old.

Johnson led the Atmore baseball league for 50 years. He was the Babe Ruth League district commissioner for Area 10 for the last 52 years.

Family, friends and colleagues said Johnson helped and touched many lives.

Willie Farrell worked for Johnson for more than 25 years in maintenance.

“The only thing I can say about Mr. Murray is that he was a good person, a good man,” Farrell said. “Mr. Murray looked out for me. One time, he helped me out. He looked out for me.”

One thing that friends said of Johnson was that he had a keen sense of humor.

Mary Hooks, whose family knew Johnson for some 40 years, said her grandkids played ball for the city league.

She recalled a funny story about Johnson.

“You know they charged everybody to come in the game,” Hooks said. “He said, ‘you got all that money, and you don’t want to pay.’ I told him, ‘I have all of my grandkids playing here, you should pay me back.’

“He said, ‘Mary, take your ass on in,’” she said. “He didn’t charge me from then on.”

Those who worked with Johnson said he helped a lot of people.

District 5 Councilmember Chris Harrison said Johnson did a lot for his family and children, Meredith, Harper and Riley.

“He taught me a lot about baseball, and helping kids, and even helping the kids sometimes that couldn’t afford to play,” Harrison said. “He always ensured everybody had an opportunity to be a part of it. He was a big reason I got into politics. I started coaching in 2010, and just over those two years, and running up to the 2012 election, we talked and I expressed some things. He encouraged me to step up and try to help the community.”

Harrison was a board member for the baseball league for 10 years. He said Johnson put the kids first.

“Always watching him, he always told me; and I might get upset about something, and he would say, ‘Chris, it doesn’t matter. It’s about the kids.’ He said ‘everything’s abut the kids.’

“He was just an advocate for youth and youth sports, and liked to see kids get out and be active,” he added. “The city of Atmore is really gonna miss him in everything he did.”

Melvin Middleton, who has been the city’s part time recreation director for 48 years, said he admired Johnson for his work with the baseball league.

“Everybody would associate him with Babe Ruth baseball,” Middleton said. “I don’t think anybody else would do the years he had done, being out there every day and night.”

Middleton said Johnson made sure all of the kids playing in the program were safe.

“My kid was raised out there when she was little,” he said. “It was a real family atmosphere.”

Former Escambia County High School football coach Buck Powell said he first met Johnson while a coach at Century, Fla.

“When I was at Century the last three years, we lost one ball game,” Powell said. “That attracted Murray to come over and watch me coach. He asked me then would I be interested in the Atmore job. I told him I’d seriously consider it. He was instrumental in me being in Atmore.

“He’s (Johnson) hard to turn down,” he quipped.

Powell said Johnson was a central figure in the school’s quarterback club.

“I know he went to all of the ball games,” he said. “He was also head of the 1-cent city sales tax in Atmore. He made a lot of decisions where that money went. One of the things it went to was the new athletic department (at ECHS), the metal building. When I got there they were dressing in the gymnasium.”

Powell said the 1-cent sales tax went directly back to the Atmore-area schools, including Huxford Elementary School.

“Murray was a great supporter of all the schools in Atmore,” he said. “He may have gotten too involved. He wanted things the best the city could provide.”

Powell said Johnson’s main love was baseball, but his biggest love was the city park. During a recent Atmore City Council meeting, the city approved a measure to name the baseball fields at Tom Byrne Park the Murray Johnson Baseball Complex.

“He took care of that park, he took care of young kids,” Powell said. “My son was one of them that went through that program. He just loved Atmore. He loved those kids, and would do anything in the world for them.”

Former player Steve McGill said Johnson was determined, relentless and caring.

“He had a lot of determination and had a relentless pursuit for the Atmore little league,” McGill said. “He put forth the effort and worked hard. Murray was a big part of my life, because I played little league when he first came here. Murray had a big input in my life because he was determined to get this league going, which he did. He was relentless in his pursuit that it succeeded. He cared about the people, he cared about the guys who played, not just myself.”

Alabama Babe Ruth Baseball State Commissioner Tony Hendrix said Johnson was most importantly, a friend.

“You can call Murray anytime day or night,” Hendrix said. “If he didn’t answer, he’d call you back. He was somebody you could trust. He had enough experience that he could look at both sides of an issue.”

One thing people said about Johnson is that he’ll be missed.

“To say I’ll miss him won’t begin to cover it,” Atmore Public Library Director Hope Lassiter, who worked for Johnson at the park’s concession stand, said. “He didn’t have to love all of us the way he did, but he chose to. And that choice changed so many lives.”

According to family members, a celebration of life for Johnson will be held on Sat., June 28, at First Baptist Church of Atmore. Visitation will be held from 1:30 p.m. until service time at 3 p.m.

Johnson will be buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Evergreen.