Allyssa Shroades

SALINEVILLE – Southern Local High School senior Allyssa Shroades has been selected as the Salineville Kiwanis December Kiwanis Student of the Month.

Shroades, the daughter of Christina Shroades of Salineville, is currently ranked seventh in her class and holds a 3.978 GPA. She has yielded successful athletic and academic careers, being a member of the SLHS volleyball and basketball teams. Shroades has received First Team EOAC, All-Conference OVAC, Second Team OHSVCA District 1, and MaxPreps Player of the Year in volleyball and earned various titles in basketball, includingFirst Team EOAC, All Star 2023, Second Team All Columbiana County All Star 2023, Second Team All-OVAC All-Star 2023, Honorable Mention All-Area Morning Journal 2023, Honorable Mention Northeast Inland District Division IV 2023, and First Team All-EOAC Honors for 2024-2025. She also currently holds the school records for three-pointers in a game, in a season, and in a career.

Additionally, Shroades is a member of student council, Spanish Club, Varsity Club, and National Honor Society and volunteers at youth basketball tournaments.

Following graduation, she plans to attend Kent State University and major in nursing.

COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland jumped out to a commanding 17-0 lead and never looked back in the Terps’ (7-6) 73-58 win over Old Dominion (4-10) on Sunday night at XFINITY Center in their final non-conference game of the regular season. Maryland allowed a season-low in points while four Terps scored in double figures.

Darius Adams led the way with 18 points, hitting a pair of threes in his 11-point first half. Isaiah Watts contributed 17 points, all of which came in the first half. He shot 4-of-5 from three-point range in the opening half in his big night. 

Isaiah Watts slams it down 🤩 @TerrapinHoops

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/jPyVNJqthP

— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 28, 2025

The Terps exploded out of the gate, scoring the game’s first 17 points and they’d never surrender. Maryland’s 17-0 run was its largest of the season and the program’s longest to start a game since 2003.

Solomon Washington posted a season-high 13-point, 13-rebound night to claim his first double-double of the season. He knocked down five free throws as the Terps shot 14-of-17 from the charity stripe.

SOLO WITH THE WINDMILL 😱😱

📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/W1lsiNueDh

— Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) December 29, 2025

Maryland stayed in the gifting mood during the holiday season, tallying 14 assists on the Terps’ 24 total field goals. David Coit led the team with six and Andre Mills posted a career-high five assists as a part of his 11-point day.

Andre Mills for 3️⃣ @TerrapinHoops

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/XMrJNd61ZM

— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 28, 2025

Maryland hit 11 three-pointers on a night where head coach Buzz Williams and his squad donned “Buzz’s Bunch” shirts to raise awareness for Williams’ outreach program centered around inclusion in youth basketball.

It’s go time 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Nq9rmy9veC

— Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) December 28, 2025

Maryland turns its focus to conference play. 18 Big Ten games await the Terps in the new year, starting with a meeting with Oregon on Jan. 2.

How It Happened:

1st Half:

• Mills got the night’s scoring started with a three-pointer.
• Watts got on the board with an early dunk.
• Adams drained a three as Maryland opened a 17-0 lead. 
• Old Dominion got its first points 5:56 minutes into the game. 
• Adams’ second three of the night put the Terps up 20-2.
• Mills hit his second three midway through the half. 
• A Watts three put Maryland ahead 26-12.
• Adams reached double figures with his third three. 
• Mills’ third three of the half put UMD up 34-12.
• Watts and Mills reached double figures in the first half.
• Maryland used a 22-6 run over the final eight minutes to extend the lead late in the half.
• The Terps led 45-18 at the break. 

2nd Half:

• Adams got the Terps on the board in the second half with a layup.
• A Washington dunk pushed Maryland past the 50-point mark early in the half. 
• Elijah Saunders hit a three to put the Terps up 63-38.
• Maryland closed out the game to snatch a 73-58 win.

Double-Digit Days

• Adams (18 points) scored in double figures for the ninth time in his career. 
• Watts (17 points) reached double figures for the second time this season and the 18th time in his career.
• Washington (13 points) posted a season-high 13 points as he reached double digits for the second time this season and the 19th time in his career. 
• Mills (11 points) scored 10+ points for the seventh time in his career.

Mastering The Monarchs:

• Sunday’s game was the seventh all-time meeting between Maryland and Old Dominion.
• The Terps extended their winning streak over the Monarchs to three games and improved to 6-1 in the series.
• Maryland improved to 4-0 against ODU at home. 
• The Terps’ biggest win in the series was an 87-67 win in 1983.

Familiar Faces:

• Maryland welcomed former Terrapin coach and current ODU head coach Mike Jones back to XFINITY Center.
• Caelum Swanton-Rodger returned to College Park after playing two seasons at Maryland.
•  Former Terp and current NBS star Aaron Wiggings’ younger brother, Zacch Wiggins, scored 14 points for ODU on Sunday.

Buzz’s Breakdown:

• “I think our guys have been incredibly resilient over all that has transpired in the first semester, no matter what’s happened.”
• “This group is continuing to have a positive trajectory.”
• “Watts is really smart. He’s able to take what I say to someone else, and apply it to himself.”

Watt’s Wonderful Night:

• “What worked for us was moving the ball, sharing the ball, and playing as a unit and as a collective.”
• “We trust in each other. We trust in our coaches. Everybody from our managers to our coaches, even the athletic trainers.”
• “It was a great confidence booster.”

Adam’s Awesome Sunday:

• “It was definitely important. We had things we needed to do in order to win this game.”
• “We know it’s going to be a challenge for us coming up in Big Ten play, and we know we need to lock in even more.”

Numbers To Know:

• 6: Maryland blocked a season-high six shots.
• 7: The Terps utilized their seventh different starting lineup of the season. 
• 8: Maryland only turned the ball over eight times to tie its season low.
• 11: With Watts drawing his first start as a Terp, 11 different Terps have started at least one game this season. 
• 14: The Terps had 14 assists in the win.
• 17: Maryland’s 17-0 run to start the game was its longest run of the season and longest to start a game since Jan. 11, 2003, when the Terps opened on an 18-0 run in a 89-62 win over Florida State. That was just the ninth-game ever at Comcast/XFINITY Center. 
• 18: ODU’s 18 points in the first half are the fewest the Terps have allowed in a half this season.

Up Next:

• Maryland hosts Oregon in the Terps’ first home conference game on Jan. 2. Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM and the game will air on Peacock.

TEXARKANA, Texas — Last January, hundreds of kids packed into Pleasant Grove’s indoor athletic facilities, trading a cold Saturday morning for a shot to run drills with professionals, high school standouts and three siblings who grew up just down the road.

The Wacha Family All-Sports Camp is coming back to Texarkana on Jan. 10, and if last year’s turnout was any indication, this event has outgrown the label of just another fundraiser.

What started as a grassroots idea — three siblings offering a few hours of sports instruction to local youth — has grown into a major community effort. It now draws support from multiple school districts, professional athletes and a long list of volunteers who carve out time each winter to give something back.

Michael, Lucas and Brette Wacha, all former athletes at the college or professional level, lead the camp. Along with coaching support from schools like Texas High, Liberty-Eylau, Arkansas High, Pleasant Grove and others, the siblings will help kids rotate through stations in baseball, basketball, football, volleyball and soccer.

Last year’s event brought in more than 200 kids, despite freezing temperatures and widespread power outages across the region. The PG gym and indoor field stayed buzzing throughout the day, with Michael’s Kansas City Royals teammate and fellow pitcher Seth Lugo and former Liberty-Eylau and Boston Red Sox standout Will Middlebrooks among the guest coaches.

While the camp focuses on skills and fun, the bigger win is what happens off the field. Proceeds from the event go directly to the Salvation Army. In 2025, the camp and its banquet raised nearly $50,000, money that funds scholarships for those who can’t afford after-school care or summer programs.

According to the Salvation Army, the need is real. Most of the kids in the program rely on some form of financial assistance, and leaders say events like this help keep doors open and services running.

The camp’s impact also extends beyond youth athletics.

Last year, Texas A&M University-Texarkana joined as a partner, offering scholarships to students or returning adults who show a strong track record of community involvement. Two recipients shared their stories during the banquet, including one who had spent part of his childhood living in the local Salvation Army shelter.

The camp started as a way for the Wacha family to give back to their hometown. It’s grown each year with help from local coaches, athletes and volunteers, and organizers expect another strong turnout this January.

Wacha recognized for philanthropy

In June, Michael Wacha was named one of the 2025 season’s Most Valuable Philanthropists by the MLB Players Trust.

The award, given to six players throughout the season, honors those who showed a strong commitment to charitable work and positive social impact beyond the field. In recognition of Wacha’s efforts, the Players Trust awarded a $10,000 grant in his name to Make-A-Wish Missouri and Kansas.

Wacha has supported a range of charities during his career, with much of his focus on helping kids and families.

——

(This article is part of a continuing series that will spotlight the Wacha Family and Friends All-Sports Camp before it returns in January.)

After initially suspending the case due to lack of evidence, Petaluma police arrested a suspect who was allegedly caught on video surveillance tracing racial slurs and swastikas onto the dusty windows of local youth mentor and former Harlem Globetrotter William Bullard’s SUV.

As KRON4 reports, the Petaluma Police Department reviewed a week’s work of surveillance footage from early December, which was obtained from the garage where Bullard’s SUV was parked, and identified Corey Newman, 20, of Petaluma, allegedly defacing Bullard’s windows.

As SFist previously reported, the police department initially dropped the case before reviewing the footage, claiming there wasn’t sufficient evidence. The case has since been reopened, per the Chronicle, likely due to Bullard’s posts about the incident, shared to his large following — not to mention the subsequent media coverage.

“I’m doing this for awareness. I’m doing this to educate people, and I’m trying to let them know don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself if something happens like this,” he said, per KGO earlier this month. “Like, what’s the worst thing that can happen? It can be ignored by the police, OK, but at least you spoke up.”

“The Petaluma Police Department takes all hate-related incidents seriously and remains fully committed to conducting thorough and impartial investigations,” said the police department in a press release. “Crimes motivated by bias have a profound impact not only on those directly affected, but also on the sense of safety and well-being of the entire community.”

Police arrested Newman during a traffic stop on Christmas Eve. He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for the commission of a hate crime and vandalism, per KRON4.

Image: NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 19: William ‘Bull’ Bullard of The Harlem Globetrotters Ring The NASDAQ Closing Bell at NASDAQ MarketSite on December 19, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic)

Previously:Hate on the Rise: Ex-Globetrotter’s SUV Defaced in Petaluma, San Jose Teens Form Human Swastika

Jewel Annette Devall Rodgers was born on September 29,1954 to Harman and Marcy Devall in Beeville, Tx.  She entered Heaven’s gates on December 26, 2025, with her mother, sisters, and children by her side.  She was 71 years old.

Jewel grew up in Pettus and attended school there, graduating in 1973.  She married her High School Sweetheart, Robert Rodgers, on June 8, 1974.  She, like both of her sisters, was an LVN, working in home health after years of working as an ER nurse.  Jewel was also a licensed beautician.  She took great pride in her family and loved staying involved in everything she could to spend time with her kids and grandkids.  She was a fixture for years at her kids and later her grandkids’ sporting events, whether it be a youth sports organization, or her favorite team, the Pettus Eagles.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Pettus.

She loved camping and often shared her cherished memories of times spent at the lake in Mathis or from her times on the Frio River.  There were trips to Louisiana and Cancun she spoke of often.  It was time she spent with her entire family, often sharing her RV or renting a cabin, enjoying time away from reality as she called it with those she loved the most in life.  You could always count on a game of dominoes or Yahtzee at her campsite, clean up to the time everyone else at the table either started cheating or conspired to keep her from winning.  If nothing else, she always was competitive, even after she retired.

Jewel was someone who loved and truly valued each of her many friends that she made over the years.  She held each of them close to her heart.  She would do anything for anyone and give anything she had to anyone in need.  Whether she had it to spare or not.  She spent countless hours listening to and sharing with anyone who’d listen along with her, her music from the 60’s.  It was nothing to have her ask you to download a certain song because she had someone on her heart and that song reminded her of that person.  Music and the joy it brought her accompanied every memory she had with every single person she encountered in life.

She was preceded in death by Maternal grandparents Ray and Francis Crepps.  Paternal grandparents Harman Leavette and Jewel Devall.  Her Father, Harman Devall, her husband, Robert Rodgers, a granddaughter, Victoria Lyssy, and two grandsons, Gavin Rodgers and Richard Gomez III.

Left to cherish her memory are her mother Marcella Devall of Pettus, sister Carman (Johnny) Gisler of Pettus, sister Fran (Bobby) Pargmann of Pettus, daughter Shannon (John) Hodge of Pettus, son Robert (Jena) Rodgers of Beeville, and son Michael (Misty) Rodgers of Mineral.  Grandchildren John Robert Hodge, Marcella Hodge (Shonn), Chris (Kristen) Lyssy, Maddisyn Rodgers, Robert Rodgers, Darryn Rodgers, Savannah Rodgers, Stephen Perez, Brandy (Kiara) Perez, Dara Gomez, and Krystal Gomez.  Great Grandchildren Patton Lyssy, Hayden Lyssy, Kinsley Gomez and Richard “Little Pops” Gomez.  Many nieces, nephews, cousins and her many friends she loved like family.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 from 10am until 11am at Eckols Funeral Home in Kenedy, Tx.  A service will be held at the funeral home chapel beginning at 11am, with a graveside service to follow at the San Domingo Cemetery in Normanna.  Pallbearers are John Robert Hodge, Robert Rodgers, Darryn Rodgers, Stephen Perez, Chris Lyssy, and Matt Helford.