SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) – A beloved youth sports umpire in the Midlands died over the weekend while working in the midst of a heat wave.

The Sumter County Coroner’s Office said 61-year-old Mitchell Huggins died Saturday after being taken to a hospital. His cause of death was later ruled as a heat stroke.

His sister, Pamela Rufus, told WIS that Huggins passed out while officiating a softball tournament Saturday afternoon at Patriot Park. She said she first got the news through a phone call from her son.

Rufus said she was able to FaceTime with her brother when he regained consciousness, but then he passed out again.

“He was just lifeless,” said Rufus. “He didn’t even look like himself.”

Rufus added that everyone on the field tried everything to resuscitate her brother, as players and parents began praying for him. Huggins was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Parents have reached out to WIS, saying they’re concerned why the tournament was allowed to go on in such extreme weather conditions.

Sumter County released a statement to WIS:

Meanwhile, Rufus said her brother truly died doing what he loved, being an umpire for kids on the diamond for over a decade. She said Huggins would often be called “Uncle Mitch” or “Mr. Mitch” by some players.

“That was his whole passion…that was his second home,” she said. “He loved those kids.”

According to Rufus, Huggins did mention that it was hot but that “he was going regardless” and was excited to umpire at another tournament.

“He just did what he did. I don’t think he looked at temperature. He felt temperature, but he didn’t look at temperature,” she said.

But she did say his death could have been prevented.

“They said he was telling them, ‘It’s hot, it’s hot.’ I think with anybody with any conditions, rough conditions, that heat was not a good day for anybody,” said Rufus.

Huggins was also passionate about his work with Top Gun Sports, a nonprofit focused on youth sports. Rufus said that the organization was another home for him.

Rufus added she’d like for Huggins’s death to raise awareness about extreme heat and illnesses. But she ultimately wants her brother to be remembered for loving what he did and caring for all the kids he served as an umpire for.

“He just loved the game,” she said.

A celebration of life for Huggins is being held Saturday at the former Timmonsville High School, located at 304 Kemper Street in Timmonsville.

WIS did reach out to Perfect Game tournaments, the organization that hosted the weekend tournament. We are still waiting to hear back.

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MCMINNVILLE Ore. (KPTV) – A former Yamhill County sports coach and referee has been charged with sexually abusing a teenager more than a decade ago, the sheriff’s office said on Wednesday.

According to YCSO, Jeremy Roy Nettrouer allegedly abused the teen while the victim worked for Nettrouer’s family as a babysitter between 2011 and 2012 in rural McMinnville.

YCSO said detectives began to investigate after receiving a report of the alleged abuse on June 18. On Wednesday, Nettrouer was arrested in McMinnville and booked into the Yamhill County Correctional Facility, where he faces one charge of first-degree sex abuse.

Because of Nettrouer’s involvement with youth sports in the area, detectives said they believe he may have had more victims, and asked anyone with information to contact them at (503) 434-7470.

Copyright 2025 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.

The Webster City Rotary Club is selling raffle tickets for a Summer Fun Raffle to raise money to support youth leadership in Webster City.

You could win a pizza oven, a smokeless fire pit or an all-terrain cart filled with adult beverages.

You can purchase a raffle ticket at the Rotary Booth at Market Nights tonight or from any Rotary member. Each ticket is $10. The drawing will be held on Monday, June 30.

Rotary promotes leadership in youth by sponsoring students attending RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) — an intensive leadership experience each summer. Rotary also recognizes student leaders through our Annual Leadership Banquet and by providing scholarships to deserving students.

The University of Toledo Athletic Department hosted a first-of-its-kind Team Toledo Partner Summit in Savage Arena on Tuesday, bringing together a cross-section of executives and visionaries from across the sports, business and community landscapes for an impactful day of insight, inspiration and innovation.

The summit featured high-profile speakers and panelists who are shaping the future of sports and business. More than 100 community leaders and innovators attended the event focused on the power of sports to engage communities and generate resources, including topics such as private equity/capital, real estate partnerships, youth sports and innovative revenue generation initiatives.

Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Arena, was the keynote speaker at the Team Toledo Partner Summit in Savage Arena on Tuesday. Barlage shared his vision on how sports can be a platform for transformative growth and community engagement.

Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Arena, was the event’s keynote speaker. Barlage shared his vision on how sports can be a platform for transformative growth and community engagement.

“The sports industry has a compound annual growth rate that is going to continue to drive value for communities,” Barlage said. “That’s something we all should embrace and wrap our arms around. Therefore, partners are seeing the value of sports in a lot of different ways.

“Athletics is a gateway to show off how great we are. Activation generates life, it generates momentum, it generates vibrancy, it generates community and it build relationships. For a community like this, it’s important that everybody supports everybody, and everybody locks arms together and continues to work to bring people together.”

Former Rocket football student-athletes Andrew Hawkins and Ryan Huzjak were featured on the “Manufactured in the Glass City” panel. Hawkins, who played six seasons in the NFL with Cleveland and Cincinnati, is the co-founder and president of StatusPRO and an ESPN personality. Huzjak is vice president of sales and marketing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hawkins provided his perspective on the potential of Toledo Athletics.

“In the creative process, you build your creativity when your resources are down,” Hawkins said. “If I can see what you can do with less resources than the next person, it tells me that if the playing field is evened, this is what it can be. I believe Toledo Athletics to be in that position.”

Huzjak added that building strong connections with area youth sports is a potential area for growth for Toledo Athletics.

“In this community, there is no better brand to authenticate youth sports than the Toledo Rockets,” said Huzjak, who was an All-MAC quarterback on the undefeated MAC Championship team in 1995. “In youth sports, you have the opportunity to bring people onto this campus and expose it to coaches and young people and connect with the community in a meaningful way.”

The summit also included a “Team Toledo Partner” panel that showcased how corporate and community partners are creating meaningful collaborations through sports. Featured panelists included Albert Atkins of SERVPRO, Jennifer Strauss of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Mike Keedy, chief engagement and enterprise officer for Metroparks Toledo. Their conversation focused on maximizing community impact and connecting with the Rocket brand across Northwest Ohio.

University of Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair opened the event by highlighting the tremendous recent success of the Rockets, such as three straight Cartwright Awards as the top overall program in the Mid-American Conference, 13 MAC titles over the last three seasons and two top 65 picks in the last two NFL Drafts. But, he added that the bar for Toledo Athletics will be set even higher going forward.

“This is just the starting point,” Blair said. “This is the bottom of the mountain. Next we’ve got to climb that mountain to get to the true peak.”

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) — An elementary school teacher and youth coach was arrested in Bucks County on Wednesday and charged with possession of child pornography.

Police and the FBI arrested Richard Adamsky, 65, at his home in Warminster Township. Adamsky is an 8th-grade teacher at the Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School in Warminster Township. He also coached several youth sports teams outside of school

According to a post on the school’s website, which has since been removed, Adamsky had taught there for more than 30 years. It also said he was listed as a “Who’s Who of American Teachers” and honored as an outstanding teacher.

“It shakes the foundation of trust,” said Jen Schorn, the district attorney of Bucks County, during a news conference to announce the charges on Wednesday.

While there is no evidence that Adamsky physically assaulted kids, Schorn is asking parents to talk with their kids about interactions they may have had.

“We know his reach is far when it comes to being in contact with children,” said Schorn.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia said in a statement that they are cooperating with the investigation, and “he had up-to-date criminal background checks and child abuse clearances on file. Additionally, no complaints of inappropriate behavior with minors had ever been lodged against him.”

The arrest came after a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on March 30. The tip reported that an explicit image had been uploaded to a reverse image search engine.

On May 15, that tip was passed on to investigators in Bucks County. On Wednesday, a warrant was executed at Adamsky’s home, where electronics were seized.

According to the criminal complaint, “When asked how many such images Adamsky believes he has saved, Adamsky responded, ‘Too many.'”

The district attorney said that the investigation took three months because it took time to trace the IP address and identify a suspect.

“It does seem like from the outside looking in, a long period of time, but, sadly, I can say these tips come in frequently. It’s alarming how frequently they come in,” Schorn said.

Adamsky is being held in jail on $500,000 bail.

Read the full statement released by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia below:

“Mr. Richard Adamsky, a teacher at Nativity of Our Lord Parish School in Warminster, Bucks County, was arrested by the Warminster Police Department this morning at his home. He faces felony criminal charges of possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communications device. Information regarding his arrest and its circumstances was shared directly with school administration by law enforcement agents for the first time this morning.

Neither the school, nor the parish, nor the Archdiocese had any indication of alleged wrongdoing on Mr. Adamsky’s part until being notified of his arrest earlier today. Based on information provided by law enforcement, it is our understanding that these activities involved Mr. Adamsky’s personal electronic devices only and that there were no allegations that he had physically harmed a minor.

As a condition of his employment, Mr. Adamsky had up-to-date criminal background checks and child abuse clearances on file. Additionally, no complaints of inappropriate behavior with minors had ever been lodged against him. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of this criminal matter.

These charges are serious and disturbing. The Archdiocese is cooperating with law enforcement and remains fervently committed to preventing child abuse as well as protecting the children and young people entrusted to its care. Child pornography is a scourge that must be eradicated.

To Make a Report
If you would like to report a violation of The Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries, contact the Archdiocesan Office for Investigations at 1-888-930-9010.

If you would like to report an allegation of sexual abuse, contact your local law enforcement agency and/or the Office for Investigations at 1-888-930-9010.

We recognize that this public notice may be painful to victims of sexual violence and exploitation. If you need support or assistance, victim services are available to you through the Victim Assistance Office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at 1-888-800-8780 or philavac@archphila.org”.

Pat Freiermuth to the rescue.

The Steelers tight end is stepping in to guide a sold-out youth football camp in Pittsburgh after his former teammate, mercurial wide receiver George Pickens, backed out of the commitment following his trade to the Cowboys, according to a purported email from event organizers, Sports Illustrated reported.

“As of last week, TruEdge was notified by George’s team that he has decided to walk back on his word and is no longer interested in attending the camp. Let us be very clear: we are deeply frustrated by the decision and the position it has placed all of us in,” the email reportedly read.

“That said, we are determined for this event to be a wonderful experience for you all. As soon as we were informed of George’s decision, our team went to preserve this event. We’re pleased to share that Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has officially committed to stepping in as a guest for this camp. Additionally, we are actively in talks with multiple other Steelers players and fully intend to build out an exciting lineup that delivers value to every family.”

A former second-round pick, Pickens’ future with the Steelers was murky following the 2024 season, with head coach Mike Tomlin stating the wideout needed to “grow up.”

He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and arrived late to a game.

The Steelers officially unloaded Pickens in May, receiving a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder from Dallas, who also landed a 2026 sixth-rounder in the deal.

In 14 games last season, Pickens caught 59 passes for 900 yards and three touchdowns.

Event organizers added in the email that the camp will be rescheduled for July 20 at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh in the wake of Pickens’ abrupt change of heart.

“Our team at TruEdge was fully prepared to host a camp this Saturday because we were led to believe George would follow through on his commitment. His sudden decision to back out not only reflects a disappointing lack of accountability, but also shows a disregard for the families and children who were excited to meet him,” the message stated.

Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with the 26-year-old Freiermuth, who has been with the Steelers for all four years of his NFL career.

He has tallied 2,190 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns across those seasons.