Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day! The rain has been relentless this week, but hopefully you are outside grilling out and playing cornhole instead of inside watching Will Smith battle aliens (like the movie), or Tom Cruise protest the Vietnam War (like that other movie). Today is a day to celebrate the creation of this great nation, and also honor those who fight for our freedom everyday, whether they be on the battlefield, in the halls of government, or just your local volunteer. So think about those that serve while you nom on hotdogs and swig that frosty beverage during this long weekend. Keeping that in mind, there is a great opportunity to toast the best this country, and the state of Virginia, has to offer at the grand opening of the latest Virginia State Park to enter the park system: Powhatan State Park just west of Richmond.The new Powhatan State Park is comprised of 1,564 acres along the James River in Powhatan County, featuring 2.5 miles of river frontage along the river’s southern bank. There are picnic shelters, playground, canoe slide, equestrian parking, two miles of hiking trails and seven miles of multi-use trails. Powhatan will be dedicated as Virginia’s 36th state park at a ceremony on Saturday that begins at 10 am. Friends of Powhatan State Park will be selling food and drink, and over a dozen exhibitors from state and local organizations will be on hand to provide information on outdoor activities. The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 2pm along the river with the keynote address being given by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, followed by live music at 5pm.This event is not only a great opportunity to check out Virginia’s latest addition to its state park system, but will be fun for the whole family. This Independence Day weekend, get out and show your support for the best this country has to offer: its wide open spaces, and those dedicated to preserving them for future generations.View Larger Map
Corey Clement’s season of uncertainty will continue this week.The junior running back’s status for Saturday’s game against Illinois remains questionable, he told reporters Tuesday afternoon.If he were to return, it would mark a seven-week hiatus from game action. The last time Clement took the field was during the season opener against Alabama Sept. 5.“I’m still uncertain [about Saturday],” Clement said. “I’m just looking forward to the next day, not really pressing anything.”Clement said he would travel with the team to Champaign this weekend and it will most likely be a game-time decision, depending how he feels when he wakes up Saturday.As far as his health, Clement said he felt “awesome” at practice Tuesday. The remaining hurdles for Clement are both mental and physical, he said.“I think those two go hand-in-hand,” Clement said. “I can only go out each day and try to perform at my best.”Clement also said he still couldn’t reach his top speed in practice. He can usually hit above 20 miles per hour or more, but hasn’t done so yet.“I need to do that to feel comfortable,” he said.Clement announced he’d undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia Sept. 24, with the initial timetable for his recovery listed at four to six weeks. His expeditious recovery allowed him to get back to practice for last week and suit up for the Purdue game Oct. 17, but made the decision in the second half to not enter the game, calling last week a “stepping stone” to his return.During practice, Clement has put himself in situations to get hit, he said, so that when his first game action comes about, it won’t be a shock.UW offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph doesn’t expect to see a different Clement out there, regardless of when he returns.“I expect Corey to be Corey. Nothing more and nothing less,” Rudolph said. “It’ll be fun. Getting his energy back would be good.”And Clement knows it will be up to him to get the UW running game back on track.“[The running game] isn’t where it’s supposed to be at this point,” Clement said. “My job is, being a leader of that running back group, you got to have a purpose when you come back and that’s to put numbers on the board and get this thing going.”
Former Ashantigold midfielder, Bernard Morrison, has been arrested in Tanzania for allegedly possessing illegal drugs.Morrison, 27, plays for Tanzanian side Yanga SC, a club he joined from South African side Orlando Pirates in 2019.The Ghanaian was the lured to Yanga by Luc Eymael, who was red this week after his racist remarks went viral.While Morrison quickly became a fan favourite in the Tanzanian top-flight, his time in Tanzania has been shrouded in controversy.His showboating was the first issue that arose, but real issues between Morrison and Yanga come to light when he departed the stadium after being substituted in a recent league encounter. According to a report by African Football, Morrison was allegedly found in possession of marijuana by Dar Es Salaam officials at a routine search at a roadblock and was taken into custody.Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Morrison got furious and walked out of the stadium after being substituted in Yanga’s 1-4 loss to rivals Simba while game was still on.A journalist approached him to explain why he left. He said he can only speak in his native Fanti language. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/xXTj5gxH48— Saddick Adams (@SaddickAdams) July 14, 2020The Ghanaian reportedly obstructed police officers from inspecting his car before they found the illegal drug in his possession.It’s been confirmed that he was released on bail shortly after his arrest and is set to appear in court at a later date.