WATERLOO, Iowa — The Waterloo Bucks, in collaboration with the Northwoods League Foundation, has awarded the City of Sumner’s Parks and Rec this year’s Share the Glove Equipment Grant.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to support youth baseball and softball across Northwoods League communities.

Lara Albert, Sumner Parks and Rec Director, expressed excitement about the grant. “We are so honored to be chosen as one of the recipients for the Share the Glove grant,” Albert said. “Our small town has 90-100 kids in grades K-5 participating in our summer baseball/softball program.”

The grant includes a set of catcher’s gear, nine fielding gloves, six batting helmets, three bats, and a bucket of practice balls. This is one of 24 grants distributed by the Foundation, supporting youth sports in the area.

The Parks and Rec for the City of Sumner says it aims to teach children teamwork, respect for coaches, and new skills through its programs. and plans to introduce a fall league for younger children.

Hadley Gleim

My name is Hadley Gleim. I am the daughter of Heather and Harry Gleim, and I live in Bellows Falls.

During my time at Bellows Falls Union High School (BFUHS), I coached youth field hockey for four years, which I really enjoyed. Teaching the kids a sport I love is a great thing. I also volunteer to help with events at the middle school track meets. I am a 12-season BFUHS athlete, and participate in field hockey, winter track, and spring track. I have earned three state titles for track, which I’m very proud of. I was inducted into the National Honor Society last year. This will be my fourth year working as a server at Dari Joy. It’s nice to interact with so many people from our community!

In the fall I will be attending the University of Vermont, and will be earning my bachelor’s degree as a radiation therapist, which is a very specific field. UVM only allows nine students per year into this program, and I was excited to learn that I was accepted early decision. My primary job will be to administer radiation to cancer patients. I will be the only member of their oncology team that will have one-on-one personal time with the patient each time they get their treatment, which is very important to me.

Gracie McGinnis

My name is Gracie McGinnis. I am the daughter of Lori McGinnis and Shaun McGinnis, and I live in Bellows Falls.

During my time at Bellows Falls Union High School, I have served as class vice president for all four years, and was elected vice president of the Student Council during my senior year. I was inducted into the Jessie A. Judd/Marilee B. Huntoon chapter of the National Honor Society in my junior year, recognizing my academic achievement and leadership.

I’ve been dedicated to athletics as a member of the field hockey team, and I’ve extended that passion by coaching younger athletes through the Terrier Pups Youth Program each season. Outside of school, I’ve worked at the Meeting Waters YMCA Day Camp during the summer, and year-round, I’m employed at the Bellows Falls Opera House.

Additionally, I’ve been involved in numerous theatrical productions with the Wild Goose Players, including roles in “Matilda,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Urinetown.” At BFUHS, I’ve also performed in “Annie” as Grace Farrell, “SpongeBob the Musical,” and “Mamma Mia.”

In the community, I volunteer regularly with the Bellows Falls Fire Department alongside my father, participating in various service initiatives throughout the year.

In the fall, I will be attending Pace University in New York City, majoring in business economics, with a minor in arts and entertainment management. Through the fire department, I was able to spend time on the set of a local film, “The Obelisk,” where I completely fell in love with filmmaking. While at school, I plan to spend time learning about the industry and finding performance opportunities.

I have spent my entire life around the Bellows Falls High School Alumni Association, and am honored to have been chosen by my classmates to be a part of the Alumni Queen’s court this year. I’m incredibly grateful to live in such an amazing community, and I am looking forward to future alumni celebrations.

Maya Rentas

My name is Maya Rentas. I am the daughter of Shelley Rentas and Mickey Rentas, and I live in Westminster.

I am truly dedicated to both my school and community, not only through academics, but also through active participation in a wide range of cocurricular activities. I have been a member of the concert band throughout all four years of high school, in addition to performing in jazz, modern, pep, and pit bands. This past fall, I earned second chair in the Connecticut Valley District 6 Concert Band. I was also selected to perform with the All-State Concert Band, which took place this May, in Essex. Beyond music, I’ve participated in several school theater productions, including “SpongeBob the Musical.” I have been involved in Student Council for three years, serving as historian during my junior year and currently as president. I am also the founder of Students of Color United, a club that provides a safe space for students who identify as people of color. In athletics, I am a member of the varsity softball team, and am currently serving as team captain. I have also been a writer for our student newspaper, The Howler, for the past four years. I am a proud member of both the National Honor Society and the National Music Honor Society, where I serve as secretary and treasurer. Additionally, I have served as class treasurer for the past three years. Outside of academics, I work as a technology intern for the school district, and spend my summers working at The Scoop, a small ice cream shop in Grafton, Vt.

After high school, I will be attending the University of Vermont, majoring in biochemistry, with a minor in molecular genetics, following a premedical track. My long-term goal is to attend medical school, and eventually open and operate my own fertility clinic, specializing in IVF treatments, as I want to help families who are unable to conceive on their own.

I want to thank my classmates for nominating me for this incredible opportunity. I also want to extend thanks to my family for their constant support and encouragement to dream big. I am deeply honored to be part of such an amazing community, and to be a nominee for the 2025 Alumni Queen.

Nola Sciacca

My name is Nola Sciacca. I am the daughter of Amy Sciacca and John Sciacca, and I live in Westminster.

One of my favorite activities in high school was playing sports. I have been a three-sport varsity athlete for my entire high school career, and sports play a big role in my life. I play field hockey, basketball, and track throughout the school year. Additionally, while doing all of those, I ride my horses on the side, showing them competitively during the summer. Aside from homework, school-related activities, and studying, sports come in at a close second for how I like to spend my time. Further, throughout my high school career, I’ve been involved in many community activities.

As far as community service goes, the largest chunk of my hours, and my personal favorite, is youth field hockey. This is a program where members of the high school field hockey team get to coach young girls from our community. We teach them the many rules and tricks of the game, while also sharing our love for the sport. Young girls ages K-6th grade are welcome to join the program, and will participate in two practices a week with games on the weekends. This program is a great way to build up athletics in our community, because we’re so small, and it’s an enjoyable experience for anyone involved. I was a youth girl once, also known as a Terrier Pup, and the way that I idolized my coaches was unmatched. It instilled in me a passion for field hockey that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else. I’m so thankful to have been a part of such an impactful program in our community, and I feel so fulfilled knowing that I have helped play a role in the continuation of Bellows Falls field hockey.

Apart from youth field hockey, another large chunk of my community service hours is running middle school track meets. The high school track team often helps the middle school run home track meets for their young team. It is fun and rewarding to watch and teach these upcoming athletes, all while helping run an efficient and smooth meet.

My post-high school plans are to attend college. Currently, I am enrolled at the University of Vermont, where I plan to begin my college career in the fall. In addition to my enrollment there, I am waitlisted at Boston College and Cornell. Should either of those accept me and give me a good financial aid package, I will consider going there, however, my current plan is to attend UVM. For all of my schools, I applied undecided because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my career, so I left my options open. Today, I have decided that I would like to focus on psychology, specifically criminology. This would include examining behavioral psychology, potentially obtaining my juris doctorate, a law degree, and working in the criminal justice field. That being said, I’m extremely excited to take my first year or two of college exploring different pathways and options, making sure that the field I choose to pursue is right for me. I value practical applications and want to get a degree in a field that I know I can find a job in, and further, one that I will be satisfied with for the rest of my life.

Thank you to my parents, friends, class, and community for all the love and support you have given me. Also, a huge thank-you to the Bellows Falls Alumni Association for their great efforts to ensure the continuation of a wonderful community.

Isabella Stoodley

My name is Isabella Stoodley. I am the daughter of Karen and Ryan Stoodley, and I live in North Westminster.

During my time at BFUHS, I have been involved in many sports and activities. I have participated in softball and field hockey, earning many awards in both sports and succeeding in the playoffs. In softball, we made it to states for the first time in 50 years last season. I am a part of Student Council serving as historian, class president, yearbook committee, student athlete advisory committee, and have completed 634 hours of community service, including coaching youth sports, volunteer teaching, Terrier Hall of Fame, dog adoption events, and so much more. I am a part of the Jesse A. Judd/Marilee Huntoon National Honor Society Chapter at BFUHS, and received Elks Student of the Month my sophomore year, and Daughters of the American Revolution Award my senior year, to name a few awards I have received. I am currently employed at the Rockingham Recreation Center as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

I am very excited that I will be attending Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Mass., and will be majoring in elementary education. I will also continue my athletic career by playing Division III softball.

I am extremely honored to be chosen as a nominee by my class for the 2025 Alumni Court. I want to thank everyone for this incredible privilege and opportunity to stand in my town. I am very grateful to have this memory to look on for the rest of my life. As this will not be my first time in the parade, I have walked numerous times with both of my parents, I am honored for it to finally be my turn and show some Terrier pride in the Alumni Parade! Thank you, Mom, Dad, Delaney, McKenna, Memere and Pepere, Brooke, and so many more people for everything you have done for me.

This image provided by First Second Books in June 2025, shows the cover of “Youth Group,” a graphic novel by Jordan Morris, illustrated by Bowen McCurdy. (Courtesy First Second Books/Macmillan Publishers via AP)

(RNS) — When he was a teenager in the 1990s, Jordan Morris was always up for a bit of mischief — as long as it didn’t involve sex or drugs, two things he was sure would kill him.

So he went to a megachurch youth group, which promised teenage shenanigans without much danger. The “sanitized mischief,” as he describes it, was perfect for Morris, who grew up as a nerdy, nervous kid.

“Youth group was great for me,” Morris said. “We can put on a show, we can sing little songs, we can do little skits. We can toilet paper the pastor’s house and clean it up later. And I just don’t have to worry that someone is going to try and pressure me into something that I’m scared of.”

Now a Los Angeles-based comedy writer and podcaster, Morris has fond memories of his time in youth group. Those memories — and his love for horror movies like “The Exorcist” — inspired him to write “Youth Group,” a graphic novel about church teens who fight demons while singing silly songs about Jesus.

Think “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” — the 1990s hit movie and later television series — goes to church.

This image provided by First Second Books in June 2025, shows an excerpt from “Youth Group,” a graphic novel by Jordan Morris, illustrated by Bowen McCurdy. (Courtesy First Second Books/Macmillan Publishers via AP)

“I thought it would be a fun challenge,” Morris, whose previous graphic novel, “Bubble,” was nominated for an Eisner Award, told Religion News Service in an interview earlier this year. “Can we do one of those religious horror stories, but make it kind of funny?”

Morris also said he’d rarely seen stories set in the kind of youth group he’d grown up in.

“I’ve just never seen that little world written about in a way that I thought was like, accurate or, like, that got what it was about,” he said.

Published last year by New York-based First Second Books, “Youth Group” tells the story of Kay Radford, a theater kid who winds up joining the Stone Mission megachurch youth group after her parents split up. Her mom is a true believer but lonely. Kay is more skeptical but lonely as well and angry at her dad.

“Church might help with all this,” Kay’s mom tells her early on. “I think we both could use some community.”

At the youth group, Kay is met by youth leader Meg Parks, a kind but sometimes over-the-top youth leader in pink; a bearded, hippy pastor who turns the “Pina Colada song” — the Rupert Holmes hit “Escape” — into a metaphor for spiritual seeking; and a band that churns out parodies like “I Saw the Christ” sung to the melody of Ace of Base’s “The Sign.”

Though fictional, the songs fit the kind of pop culture reference — sometimes known as a “Jesus juke” — that youth groups can be known for.

“I always think there’s something funny about that move, where you take a secular piece of entertainment, like a song that’s in the zeitgeist, or a popular movie and try and give the hidden religious message,” Morris said.

Kay eventually discovers the youth pastor and some of the older Stone Mission kids also fight demons. That fight becomes personal after one of the demons goes after her dad, and Kay decides to join the battle. Along the way, the Stone Mission kids team up with youth groups from other faiths — Temple Beth Israel, Immaculate Heart parish and the Polaris Coven — to fight off a demon invasion with the help of some training by an order of nuns.

Morris said he and illustrator Bowen McCurdy wanted to tell a story that was more than just satire. And while he no longer embraces the faith of his youth, Morris still sees value in the lessons he learned, like the importance of loving your neighbor.

“We wanted to tell a story of people from a lot of different religions coming together with a common goal,” he said.

Matthew Cressler, a religion scholar and creator of the webcomic series “Bad Catholics, Good Trouble,” said comics with evangelical or denominational settings like “Youth Group” are uncommon. Religion in comics, he said, is often seen as “a marker of difference”: for example, Kamala Khan, the Muslim-American hero known as Ms. Marvel, or Matt Murdock, better known as Daredevil, who is Irish-Catholic. In the 1960s, when Daredevil was created, Catholics were still seen as outsiders to the American mainstream, and many of the most popular heroes, like Batman, were seen as Mainline Protestants.

While there were comics for evangelicals, they were often evangelistic, like the controversial Jack Chick tracts or the Christianized adventures of Archie and his friends, published by Spire Comics starting in the 1970s. And evangelicals have often downplayed the kind of sacramental imagery and architecture found in mainline or Catholic settings and try to avoid the kind of visuals needed for comics, said Cressler.

Matthew Brake, founder and editor of online publication Pop Culture and Theology, said non-denominational churches often have a “let’s go to the mall aesthetic” and lack the visual clout of Catholicism.

“Nondenominational churches are sort of a cultural underdog,” he said.

That may change, Brake said, as creators like Morris, who grew up in non-denominational settings, come of age. And those settings often contain surprises. Although they are most known for things like worship music and purity culture, megachurches also provide space to talk about things like social justice.

Still, he wonders if many nondenominational Christians would be the kinds of fans that would enjoy a book like “Youth Group” or “Preacher,” a late-1990s comic about an evangelical pastor who ends up possessed by a supernatural being.

David Canham, who reviews comics for the secular pop-culture website AIPT — short for “Adventures in Poor Taste” — had mixed feelings about “Youth Group.”

“First off, there’s plenty of ’90s nostalgia — a good-natured tongue-in-cheek look back at many of the silly and absurd things about ’90s culture, with a focus on evangelical Christian culture,” he wrote when the book came out. “‘Youth Group’ delivers on this point.”

But the book’s take on pluralism — the idea that all religion is on the same side — turned him off as an evangelical Christian. “I don’t want to recommend a book that promotes a worldview that so strongly disagrees with my own beliefs,” he wrote.

At first, Morris said he was worried the book might offend Christians and atheists alike. Some evangelicals might feel the book mocks their faith, while atheists might think the book overlooks the shortcomings of religious groups.

Both those criticisms would be fair, he said. Religious groups get a lot of things wrong, and yet churches and other faith groups remain important to their members. Morris said he tried to walk a fine line of gently poking fun at faith while showing why it still has an impact on people’s lives, and how the friendships made in youth groups may long endure.

“I didn’t want the humor to be like, church is stupid, or say, ‘look at this dumb church stuff,’” he said. “I wanted it to be funny and familiar.”

Morris said he wanted to capture the mixed feelings people have about the faiths in which they grew up. While he appreciated Bible teachings like caring for the needy, some of the politics and social messages, especially about LGBTQ+ folks, were a turnoff, he said.

Religion, he said, is complicated.

“There are a lot of wonderful memories, and there’s a lot of stuff that gives me the ick,” he said. “I hope that’s in the book. I hope you can see how a religious upbringing can be upsetting and wonderful — comforting but also makes you mad.”

***

This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.

MIAMI (WSVN) – A devastated family is mourning the loss of a father of two who, police said, was killed in a grisly chain-reaction crash in the Shenandoah section of Miami.

Speaking with 7News over the phone from California on Wednesday, Richard Loretta, described his son, 50-year-old Andrew Loretta, as a devoted husband and father.

“Andy was thoughtful, kind, hardworking, more than carried his own weight when it comes to getting things done around the house, as well as within our large family,” he said.

According to City of Miami Police, the crash took place at the intersection of Southwest 21st Avenue and 19th Street, just after 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday.

New cellphone video captured the horrific moments that followed what police described as a hit-and-run wreck outside Shenandoah Park.

Witnesses said the force of the impact sent the victim airborne.

“The accident was so gruesome that he had lost his leg,” said area resident Marcos Mere.

The crash took place while children were taking part in a youth sports program steps away in the park.

“Mary, keep the kids behind, please,” a woman is heard saying in the cellphone video.

Andrew’s family posted about their heartbreaking loss. A Facebook post reads in part:

“Our youngest son Andy, our baby, tragically passed away yesterday after being struck by a vehicle while jogging in Miami. His wonderful wife Michelle and beautiful children Lili and Lucas are heartbroken.”

Loved ones described Andrew as a family-oriented lover of sports who had strong bonds with his siblings and parents.

Mere, who lives blocks away from the park, said he heard a deafening noise.

“I heard the bang, a real loud bang,” said a witness.

“I have a traffic accident with multiple patients,” a 911 dispatcher said in radio transmissions.

“To me, it didn’t sound like an accident; it sounded like maybe a bomb or something, it was so loud,” said Mere.

A 7News crew arrived shortly after the crash and met Mere, who said he ran out of his home to discover Loretta’s body.

A Tesla camera caught the chilling moment. The force of the impact was so strong that Loretta flew several feet off the ground.

Mere gasped when 7News showed him the video from the Tesla.

“I got a [better] idea. It makes it even more gruesome,” he said.

Richard described the moment when he received the news of his son’s death.

“My wife and I were watching a baseball game, and we got a call from our other son, who had heard from Andy’s now widow,” he said.

Investigators identified the driver responsible for the crash as 36-year-old Andres Fiallo Estupinan.

After the suspect struck Loretta, police said, he hit a parked unoccupied car. The force from that impact caused the latter vehicle to hit an ice cream truck that had a driver inside.

Although he was injured, detectives said, Fiallo Estupinan got out of his car and ran off, but he was tackled by witnesses at Shenandoah Park

7News captured the suspect handcuffed to his gurney as paramedics wheeled him inside Ryder Trauma Center. Police said he’s in their custody, and his next stop is the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.

Rescue crews also transported the woman who was behind the wheel of the ice cream truck when Fiallo Estupinan’s vehicle plowed into it.

The cellphone video captured the woman moments after the crash, still sitting in the truck.

Her son, Juan Lugo, told 7News he was waiting to learn more about his mother’s condition.

Meanwhile, Loretta’s loved ones continue to grieve. Their Facebook post reads in part:

“It’s impossible to put into words the impact of this loss … please cherish your loved ones.”

“He’s going to be sorely missed, because we have a very unified family,” said Richard.

As of Wednesday night, police have not provided an update about the conditions of Fiallo Estupinan and the ice cream truck driver, as they continue to investigate.

A family friend has created a GoFundMe on the behalf of Andy’s wife, Michelle, to support their two children Lili and Lucas’s college education, if you would like to donate, click here.

Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The post LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson gets brutally honest on Angel Reese relationship: ‘We’re not friends’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Flau’jae Johnson recently acknowledged she no longer has a close relationship with former LSU women’s basketball teammate Angel Reese, saying the two are “not friends,” though she still supports Reese’s success in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky.

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“We’re not friends but that bond that we had and that thing we did together, win a national championship, you can never take that away from us,” Johnson said, as reported by Griffin McVeigh of On3. “Sometimes, stuff happens. You wish it don’t happen but it do. You just got to grow. I support her in everything she do, she’s killing it in the WNBA. I’ll be on social media clowning the folks trying to talk down on her. I’m just proud of her. But you know, stuff happens.”

Johnson shared that behind-the-scenes tensions contributed to the distance.

“It was a lot of media, it was a lot of locker room stuff,” she said, as reported by Rashad Milligan of The Times-Picayune/Nola.com.“Stuff that goes on behind the scenes, but you know, it happens.”

Reese, who was drafted No. 7 by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft, echoed a similar sentiment back in September on her own podcast, saying, “We aren’t as close as we used to be. There are no hard feelings or anything… It happens.”

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The two stars were central to the Tigers’ first national championship in 2023 under LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey , going on a media tour and appearing on the cover of SLAM Magazine together. Johnson now enters her senior year at LSU.

Despite the shift in their relationship, Johnson continues to support her former teammate publicly and said she’s proud of Reese’s professional accomplishments.

Johnson had a busy weekend of her own, releasing a new single, coaching at a youth basketball event, and attending the BET Awards, where she was nominated for Sportswoman of the Year — an award Reese ultimately won for a third straight year.

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