closes

From Jack Harris: Clayton Kershaw got to the precipice of history on Thursday afternoon. And now, when he inevitably crosses the 3,000 career strikeout milepost, it will almost certainly happen on his home mound.

In the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw struck out five batters over a six-inning, one-run start to move to 2,997 punchouts for his career.

For a moment, it seemed as if Kershaw might be able to eclipse the threshold on Thursday. At the end of the sixth inning, he had thrown only 69 pitches while mowing through a free-swinging Rockies lineup.

Alas, manager Dave Roberts gave his 37-year-old left-hander an early hook, turning a narrow late-game lead over to his bullpen — and preserving the opportunity for Kershaw’s milestone moment to happen back at Dodger Stadium during next week’s homestand.

“I would argue there might be a temptation to take him out [today] and let him go for it in front of the home fans,” Roberts said pregame, when asked if he would consider extending Kershaw’s leash to let him chase his 3,000th strikeout on Thursday. “I’m not going to force anything.”

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Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

LAKERS

From Broderick Turner: The Lakers were busy making moves Thursday, doing all they could to move up in the second round of the NBA draft.

After moving up to No. 36 in the draft with their second trade of the day, the Lakers selected Adou Thiero out of Arkansas.

To get what many with the Lakers and around the NBA view as a “super athletic wing” in the 6-foot-8 Thiero, the Lakers first traded their 55th pick and about $2.5 million in cash to the Chicago Bulls for their 45th pick. Then the Lakers sent that No. 45 pick and cash considerations to the Minnesota Timberwolves for their 36th selection, according to a person with knowledge of the deal not authorized to speak publicly.

Thiero averaged 15.1 points on 54.5% shooting from the field and 5.8 rebounds last season for the Razorbacks.

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2025 NBA draft: Pick-by-pick coverage and analysis

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Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter, through his TWG Global company, agreed to purchase a majority ownership stake in the Lakers last week and released information about the sale on Wednesday in a statement announcing the deal would be completed later this year.

When news broke that Walter would take controlling interest of the Lakers from the Buss family at a valuation of $10 billion, we reached out to Magic Johnson about his thoughts on the matter. Speaking from a yacht off the coast of Croatia, here’s what the Lakers legend had to say about Walter, Jeanie Buss and the sale:

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SPARKS

Azurá Stevens scored 23 points, Kelsey Plum had 21 points and six assists and the Sparks ended a four-game losing streak by beating the short-handed Indiana Fever 85-75 on Thursday night.

Indiana played without Caitlin Clark who was out because of a groin injury. Clark had recently returned from a quad injury that kept her sidelined for five games. She returned on June 14 and scored 32 points to help the Fever to a 102-88 victory against the Liberty.

Plum made a three-pointer with 4:13 left to give the Sparks a 67-66 lead, its first since the opening minute of the second quarter. She added two free throws on their next possession to cap a 21-8 run spanning the third-quarter break.

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Sparks box score

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1890 — Canadian boxer George Dixon becomes first Black world champion when he stops English bantamweight champion Edwin “Nunc” Wallace in 18 rounds in London, England.

1903 — Willie Anderson captures the U.S. Open with a two-stroke victory over David Brown in a playoff.

1914 — Jack Johnson wins a 20-round referee’s decision over Frank Moran at the Velodrome d’Hiver in Paris.

1924 — Walter Hagen wins his second British Open. Hagen finishes with a 301 to edge Ernest Whitcombe by one stroke at Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, England. Hagen, who won in 1922, was the Open’s first winner born in the United States.

1936 — Alf Padgham beats Jimmy Adams by one stroke to win the British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England.

1950 — Chandler Harper wins the PGA championship by beating Henry Williams Jr., 4 and 3 in the final round.

1959 — Mickey Wright beats Louise Suggs by two strokes for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open title.

1971 — JoAnne Carner wins the U.S. Women’s Open with a seven-stroke victory over Kathy Whitworth.

1979 — Heavyweight Muhammad Ali confirms that his 3rd retirement is final (it isn’t).

1984 — UEFA European Championship Final, Parc des Princes, Paris, France: Michel Platini & Bruno Bellone score as France beats Spain, 2-0.

1988 — Mike Tyson KOs Michael Spink in 91 seconds, in Atlantic City.

1990 — NBA Draft: Syracuse power forward Derrick Coleman first pick by New Jersey Nets.

1992 — Top-seeded Jim Courier, the Australian and French Open champion, loses 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to qualifier Andrei Olhovskiy of Russia at Wimbledon. It’s the first time in Wimbledon history that a qualifier beat the top seed.

1998 — NHL Draft: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) center Vincent Lecavalier first pick by Tampa Bay Lightning.

1999 — Juli Inkster shoots a 6-under 65 to win the LPGA Championship, becoming the second woman to win the modern career Grand Slam. Pat Bradley won her Grand Slam 13 years earlier.

2001 — NBA Draft: Glynn Academy center Kwame Brown first pick by Washington Wizards.

2006 — Roger Federer wins his record 42nd straight grass-court match, beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to open his bid for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship. Federer breaks the record he shared with Bjorn Borg, the five-time Wimbledon champion who won 41 straight matches on grass from 1976-1981.

2008 — Zheng Jie completes the biggest victory of her career at Wimbledon, beating new No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4 in the third round. The 133rd-ranked Zheng’s victory, her first against a top-10 player, is the earliest exit by a top-ranked woman at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis lost in the first round in 2001.

2010 — Cristie Kerr cruises to a 12-stroke victory in the LPGA Championship in one of the most lopsided wins at a major. Kerr leads wire-to-wire, closing with a 6-under 66 for a 19-under 269 total. Kerr breaks the tournament record for victory margin of 11 set by Betsy King in 1992 and matches the second-biggest victory in a major.

2013 — NBA Draft: UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett first pick Cleveland Cavaliers.

2021 — Nelly Korda beats Lizette Salas by 3 strokes to win the Women’s PGA Championship. The win is Korda’s first major title.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1917 — Catcher Hank Gowdy of the Braves became the first major league player to enter military service in World War I.

1939 — The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves played a 23-inning, 2-2 tie. Whit Wyatt pitched the first 16 innings for the Dodgers. Both clubs played a 26-inning tie in 1920 at the same Braves Field.

1958 — Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox retired 26 straight Washington batters before pinch-hitter Ed Fitzgerald hit a double just inside the right-field line for the only hit. Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches and beat the Senators 3-0.

1973 — David Clyde, a $125,000, 18-year-old bonus baby with the Rangers, pitched five innings, struck out eight and gave up one hit in his first major league start. Texas beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 before 35,698 fans — the Rangers’ first home sellout at Arlington Stadium.

1980 — The Dodgers’ Jerry Reuss pitched a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 victory at Candlestick Park. The only player to reach base was Jack Clark in the first inning on a throwing error by shortstop Bill Russell.

1986 — San Francisco rookie Robby Thompson set a major league record when he was caught stealing four times in the Giants’ 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Catcher Bo Diaz threw out Thompson in the fourth, sixth, ninth and 11th innings.

1993 — Anthony Young of the New York Mets set a major league record by losing his 24th straight decision, 5-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

1999 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 27th homer and robbed Juan Gonzalez of a three-run shot with a spectacular over-the-fence catch as the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-2 in the final game at the Kingdome.

2003 — Boston set a major league record by scoring 10 runs before the first out. The 50-minute, 91-pitch first inning came during a 25-8 victory over Florida. The Red Sox also tied an AL record with 14 runs in the first inning. Johnny Damon matched a major league mark with three hits in an inning.

2007 — Ryan Howard hits his 100th career home run in a 9 – 6 loss to the Reds. The shot against Aaron Harang makes him the fastest player in major league history to hit 100 homers, doing so in his 325th game.

2008 — Carlos Delgado of the New York Mets homered twice, including a grand slam, and set a franchise record with nine RBIs in a 15-6 rout of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the opener of the teams’ two-ballpark doubleheader. The Yankees beat the Mets 9-0 at Shea Stadium in the night game.

2009 — Tim Wakefield makes his 382nd start for the Boston Red Sox, tying Roger Clemens for most in franchise history. The 42-year-old knuckleballer earns his tenth win of the year with six scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves. Boston prevails, 1-0, with Mark Kotsay driving in the game’s only run.

2010 — Jamie Moyer surrendered his record-breaking 506th home run but was sharp otherwise, and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of Toronto’s troubles to beat the Blue Jays 11-2. Moyer only mistake was a two-run homer by Vernon Wells in the third inning. Moyer passed former Phillies Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the most homers allowed in a career.

2016 — Kris Bryant became the first major leaguer to hit three homers and two doubles in a game, and Jake Arrieta added a solo shot, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 11-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

2016 — The Texas Rangers wrapped up a weird win at 2:44 a.m., rallying after a rain delay of more than 3 1/2 hours in the ninth inning to beat the New York Yankees 9-6 with maybe 100 fans left in the stands. Umpire crew chief Paul Nauert signaled for the tarp at 10:40 p.m. The game resumed at 2:15 a.m. Texas trailed 6-5 when Kirby Yates replaced closer Aroldis Chapman after the delay with a runner on first and no outs. Yates (2-1) hit three batters, and Beltre and Elvis Andrus each hit a two-run singles.

2017 — The University of Florida wins the first College World Series Title in school history by defeating LSU 6-1.

2019 — The starters for the 2019 All-Star Game are named, at the conclusion of the fans’ vote. For the first time, this voting is two-tiered, with today’s winners the victors of a second round of strictly on-line voting among the three top finishers at each position, after the more traditional ballots have been counted. The results are well-balanced, with only one team managing as many as three players elected — the Astros with 3B Alex Bregman and OFs George Springer and Michael Brantley — and are generally representative of who have been the best players so far this year.

2021 — A little over a week after MLB has begun to systematically examine pitchers for foreign substances to improve grip, a first victim is caught: Hector Santiago of the Mariners is ejected after umpires discover an unknown sticky substances on his glove. The glove is impounded and sent for further analysis, while Santiago protests his innocence, claiming that he was only using rosin to prevent perspiration from dripping unto his hands. He will be issued a ten-game suspension.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

NEW YORK — New York City on Tuesday closed the arrival center for immigrants it had established at the Roosevelt Hotel, a once-grand Manhattan hotel that had become an emblem of the city’s fraught efforts to manage the flood of new migrants when it opened two years ago.

The midtown hotel, located blocks from Grand Central Terminal, served as the first stop for tens of thousands of immigrants arriving in the city seeking free shelter and services, with migrant families lining up and sometimes even sleeping on the street outside the hotel waiting for a bed.

Monday was the center’s last full day in operation, and the hotel was vacant as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Mayor Eric Adams’ office. Services provided at the Roosevelt, including registration, legal assistance and medical care, are now being offered to immigrants at other shelter locations, the office said.

Adams announced the city was winding down its operation at the Roosevelt and other migrant shelters in February as the surge of immigration from the U.S. border with Mexico waned.

The city is currently housing more than 37,000 migrants across 170 sites, down from a peak of nearly 70,000 last January, officials said Tuesday. During the height of the migrant wave, New York saw an average of 4,000 arrivals a week. That’s now down to less than 100 new immigrants in the week that ended June 22, according to Adams’ office.

The number of new immigrants has steadily dropped in large part to stricter immigration measures imposed during the end of former President Biden’s administration as well as a broader immigration crackdown since President Trump took office in January.

The Adams administration also placed limits on how long immigrants could remain in shelters run by the city, which is legally obligated to provide temporary housing to anyone who asks.

More than 237,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York since April 2022, with more than 173,000 of them registered at the Roosevelt, city officials have said.

In recent months, the hotel became a prime target for the Trump administration, which claimed the Roosevelt was a hotbed for gang activity. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, citing those concerns, clawed back $80 million meant to reimburse the city for costs related to housing immigrants.

The future of the storied hotel, which the city had leased from its longtime owners, Pakistan’s government-owned airline, remains unclear. Representatives for the property didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

The Roosevelt opened in 1924 and has more than 1,000 rooms. In its heyday, the hotel was known for its in-house band, which was led by jazz great Guy Lombardo. It also served as New York Gov. Thomas Dewey’s election-night headquarters during his failed 1948 presidential campaign.

Marcelo writes for the Associated Press.

After the recent military escalations between Iran and Israel, where the U.S. was involved symbolically but in a limited manner, the focus of the international strategic community has shifted back to one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz. Although the matter of closing such a waterway has been around in various forms of threats since the 1980s, the current situation in the Middle East is a clear signal that those threats are going to be actual events instead of mere rhetoric. Accordingly, the issue of how the world would react to a decision of Iran to shut down or impose restrictions on the Strait is now not a merely theoretical discussion—it is a current situation that is capable of affecting the whole world.

Why Hormuz Matters

The Strait of Hormuz acts as the main artery through which around 20% of the world’s oil for trade and more than 30% of global liquefied natural gas are transported each day. Its narrow geography—only 33 kilometers wide at the narrowest point—makes it a region that is unstoppably within Iran’s influence. This location is critical as it is the area where the Middle East’s vast oil resources are transported to the world’s markets. A conflict here would not only be equivalent to cutting off the energy export infrastructure in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar but also to a power outage in international energy markets. In a global economic scenario currently facing various challenges such as supply chain realignments, inflationary trends, and geopolitical rivalries, the closure of Hormuz would not just be an energy crisis; it would be a major systemic event.

Military Feasibility and Constraints

Technically, Iran definitely has the capabilities to disrupt or block the Strait for a short period. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has multiple layers of assets in the region, such as fast-attack boats, coastal missile batteries, naval mines, and drone systems. It has been building and rehearsing asymmetric strategies that are intended to fool the shipping lanes and stop the U.S. from intervening in its navy; these strategies are implemented through repeated exercises. On the other hand, Iran could carry out such a closure or be the major disruptor, but the continuation of it would be difficult. This move would most probably incite a very strong and well-coordinated military counterattack from the United States and its partners, which may also include a multinational maritime security coalition, apart from those opponents mentioned. Besides that, the international community would certainly impose severe penalties on Iran in the form of retaliatory actions, diplomatic isolation, and economic free-fall. Therefore, it is possible that Tehran wants to continue to calibrate its harassment or partial closures instead of implementing a full-scale blockade.

Energy Security and Economic Fallout

An incident in the Strait of Hormuz would cause a very rapid increase in oil and gas prices, and Brent crude would probably go up to more than $150 a barrel in the first few days of the crisis. Energy-exporting countries—especially in Asia, where China, India, South Korea, and Japan are the main players—would not only have energy shortages but also energy price inflation. After the Ukraine crisis, Europe changed the direction of its gas imports to Gulf LNG, but it is still going to be affected. Though some capacity exists in the form of overland pipelines, like Saudi Arabia’s East-West system, these alternatives are not sufficient to make up for the shortage of the flow through Hormuz. The impact would be felt globally—through inflation, increased shipping insurance charges, currency instability, and lack of investor confidence in emerging markets. At the end of the day, the economic cost would not be limited to energy consumers alone; it would also hit the very core of the global economic interdependence structure.

Diplomatic and Legal Implications

International law legally defines the Strait of Hormuz as an international strait—that means it is the free navigation route allowed for ships under the law of the sea. This right of passage is given to ships registered as UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Although Iran is not a party to UNCLOS and they firmly believe that they have the right to issue regulations for traffic, especially at times of insecurity, they are nonetheless free to assert their prerogatives. This situation of uncertainty in the interpretation of the laws only goes to highlight a bigger issue: necks like Hormuz are not only regulated by law but also by power. When the legal norms conflict with geopolitical situations, the implementation of the law is more influenced by the use of force, negotiations, or peacekeeping units than by court decisions. In the course of the global order’s evolution toward multipolarity, traditional means of enforcement are more and more divided; the international community has to come to terms with the fact that maritime governance is at its end.

Global Responses and Strategic Calculus

If Iran were to interfere with the transit in the Strait of Hormuz in a serious manner, it would necessitate a strong reaction from the United States. The latter has always considered the freedom of navigation as a vital interest. To this end, they could send their naval forces, form coalitions as in 2019 and carry out Operation Sentinel, or ask the UN Security Council to solve the issue, though Russia or China are likely to block any resolution. European countries could request the de-escalation and the mediation of the conflict, but they do not have a unified military force in the region. China and India, on the other hand, need to think about their next moves: they can’t lose their energy security, but they shouldn’t look like they’re sticking with the West; otherwise, they’ll be in trouble with their other friends. Russia might be in a good position to profit from the rising oil prices, but on the other hand, it has to be careful not to damage its partnerships in the region. Most importantly, nations in the Gulf region such as Oman, Qatar, and the UAE are expected to be at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to calm down tensions, using their secret communication channels to reach a truce, thus preventing the situation from spiraling into open warfare.

Conclusion: A Chokepoint as a Global Fault Line

The hypothetical closing of the Strait of Hormuz has attracted attention not only to it as a regional conflict but also as a challenge for the international system. It displays, first of all, the weakness of energy and trade flows, which are extremely dependent on special narrow geographic corridors. Oddly enough, after so many years of discussions about energy diversification and supply chain resilience, the world still remains terribly dependent on several maritime corridors that are at the center of geopolitical struggles. The second point is that this event shows the absence of any credible regional security framework in the Persian Gulf. Several next attempts to build inclusive architectures—whether led by the United States, Russia, or even China—were not successful in creating crisis prevention or conflict resolution mechanisms. As a result of this situation, the region is no longer strategically stable but becomes reactive all the time.

On the third point, the whole situation with Hormuz undermines those sea governance foundations that still remain. Legal concepts like transit passage only work when they are supported by a multilateral consensus and have credible enforcement. In their absence, rules give way to power politics, and coercive signaling becomes a tool of diplomacy. Way, The precedent it would establish at Existing even time would lead to other chokepoints at play: the Suez Canal, the Bab el-Mandeb, and the South China Sea. In conclusion, the crisis would be a strong reassertion of the supply of preventive diplomacy. The current escalatory spiral between Iran and Israel, compounded by the lack of sustained dialogue mechanisms, leaves the door open for miscalculation and unintended conflict. Restoring regional diplomacy, be it through a new Gulf security initiative or improved nuclear talks, is not an option—it is a must.

In conclusion, the Strait of Hormuz is definitely not only a maritime corridor. It is a political fault line where local crises meet with global insecurity. The manner in which the international community deals with or neglects the danger could be the factor that decides the path of world peace in the next ten years.

Ed Intagliata leaned his body against the cash register as he greeted customers with a heartfelt goodbye hug. After nearly 78 years of business, his beloved music shop is closing in light of his retirement.

All that remains of Cassell’s Music are empty shelves, scattered boxes and unsold instruments — a quiet ending for what was once a lively hub for music lovers and aspiring musicians.

Eric Knight, 29, reminisced about his childhood years spent inside Cassell’s.

“My dad came in, he bought me a bass and a little amp to go with it and set me up with some lessons back here,” Knight said. “As I got older, I started making some friends that played music and we all got together, drove down here and spent about two hours in that back room, three or four teenagers piled into that tiny room. If we ever did that in Guitar Center, we would be kicked out. But Ed would pop his head in, listen and get back to work. He made everyone feel welcomed and invited.”

Cassell’s in San Fernando has been a beloved fixture within its community for decades, with customers noting owner Ed Intagliata’s welcoming presence.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Intagliata, now 71, became the shop’s owner after he graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in music. At the time, Intagliata worked in the complaint department at Sears.

“The success of the store was on my shoulders as a 24-year-old kid,” Intagliata said. “I made some mistakes, but I grew from it. My father taught me some very savvy business advice, which I’ve governed the store by for 48 years and it’s been a good run. We’ve weathered all the recessions and things like that.”

His father, an aerospace engineer at the time,
bought the store from its founder, Albert Cassell, in 1978 after seeing an ad for it in the Los Angeles Times. His father, Intagliata said, employed his siblings to fund their college education.

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“My brother Robert was a marketing major at Cal State Northridge. He started implementing a lot of ideas he was learning in his marketing class,” Intagliata said. “And one of the things we did was we donated a guitar and some lessons as a giveaway to somebody at Dodger Stadium at every last Dodgers home game.”

His brother John repaired band instruments for about 12 years, Intagliata said. His next brother, Paul, taught trumpet lessons to a student who eventually went on tour with Green Day. Intagliata said his sister, the baby of the family, obtained an engineering degree from Cal State Northridge and taught piano at Cassell’s for about eight years.

“A lot of students still remember her,” he said. “They come in and ask, ‘What’s your sister doing? I took piano lessons from her 30 years ago.’ ”

“I didn’t realize how deep the impact and influence the store had on people’s lives around here, getting them started on music,” Intagliata said. “Just how it’s kind of a nice place to hang out and be creative with.”

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Mornings come in early for Intagliata, much to his dismay. He commutes regularly from his home in Santa Clarita to his shop, nestled in San Fernando on Maclay Avenue in front of a Fosters Freeze, Valley relic. Originally from Connecticut, Intagliata’s family moved to California in 1960, setting root in Palos Verdes — where his mother still lives today.

“I hated the peacocks,” he said. “They’re a mess.”

Originally located in the San Fernando Mall, Cassell’s has been around since 1948. The shop sold teenage rock star Ritchie Valens his first guitar, a sleek Gibson ES-225 electric, in 1958.

People from around the world visited Cassell’s after it was featured in “Wayne’s World,” which starred famous actors such as Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.

(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)

Intagliata’s father put down a down payment and purchased the store’s orignal name for about $5,000 in 1978. Ed Intagliata paid about $173,000 in a span of five years, he said. And six years after purchasing it, he moved Cassell’s to its current location on Memorial Day 1984. The location used to be an electronics store that sold CB radios and TV antennas, Intagliata said.

“I remember in the early to mid-80s, before they moved out to Maclay, they were in the heart of San Fernando Mall and I was in elementary, buying cassettes,” said Rago Mier, 52-year-old San Fernando resident. “It’s just heartbreaking for me that this store is no longer going to be here. I’m gonna miss it.”

Intagliata said Cassell’s used to be a record store at one point. He kept one of the original plastic sleeves with the shop’s logo.

At one point, Cassell’s sold records, with one that is still kept at the store pictured here.

(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)

“It was one of those things where you can come in, put on your headphones and listen to the latest thing,” he said. “We would put these sleeves on all the LPs.”

Intagliata personalized almost every corner of his store: buying luau decor from Party City to feature his assortment of ukuleles, frames of signed celebrity headshots and a prized possession: the white 1964 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar featured in the 1992 film “Wayne’s World.”

In the movie, Wayne’s character played by actor Mike Meyers makes repeated visits to the shop just to gaze at the fender guitar. Posters of the song “No Stairway to Heaven,” are scattered all around the shop. Intagliata said he had no idea how big the movie would be.

“They had a location scout come in one day and he was just asking, ‘Hey, we are looking for a music store to film a movie of a “Saturday Night Live” sketch,’ and I didn’t see him for many months,” Intagliata said. “He came back in again and said they liked my store, and apparently went to like seven or eight states looking for a music store that would fit what they were looking for.”

On display at Cassell’s Music is a “Wayne’s World” guitar signed by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, after a scene from the movie was filmed at the store.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Intagliata said “Wayne’s World” put Cassell’s on the map after film crews decided to keep the store’s name in the movie. Visitors from all over the world came to see the guitar on display, one New Zealand fan even asking him for the case dimension to make a replica at home, Intagliata said.

“People come here and feel like the actors can come out any minute,” he said. “It gives them a real sense of excitement.”

The guitar will be featured in a shrine alongside the car used in “Wayne’s World” at a father-and-son museum in Canada, Intagliata said.

“I’m just finding out that I didn’t realize how deep the impact and influence the store had on people’s lives around here, getting them started on music,” he said. “Just how it’s kind of a nice place to hang out and be creative with.”

Intagliata recently revived an old T-shirt design from 1978 he found in his father’s closet. The shirts sold like hotcakes the same day the shipment was delivered. All Intagliata has from those days, besides a few shirts and the memories, is the first guitar he ever sold: an auditorium guitar, hung up in a corner of his store.

“I think I’m going to keep it,” he said as he stared at it. “They want me to sell it, but I’m going to keep it.”

Intagliata’s plan is to visit Italy next year. He has been eyeing the Amalfi Coast after he saw a picture of the Ravello Music Festival stage.

“Isn’t that something?” he said, admiring his computer screen. “I sing in a classical choir up in Santa Clarita. This is my genre, not rock ‘n’ roll. It’s this.”

Intagliata toyed with the idea of retirement a few years prior. After successfully selling his store via an online listing, Intagliata went on Facebook to make the announcement.

“I want to be able to travel while I still have relatively good health because I’m getting up there in age. I know I don’t look it,” Intagliata said, jokingly.

Cassell’s Music will be open until July 21. My Valley Pass, an online visitor’s guide to the San Fernando Valley, will be screening “Wayne’s World” at Cassell’s on July 10 starting at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased online.

Intagliata took over the store’s ownership from his father after graduating college, and looking back on his 48-year tenure, he says, “It’s been a good run.”

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

June 17 (UPI) — The Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and other iconic works of art in Paris, closed abruptly Monday as the museum’s staff staged an impromptu strike over a surge of tourists who were left standing in long lines.

Ticket agents, gallery attendants and security refused to return to work, following a morning union meeting, citing overcrowding and understaffing. After four hours of talks with management, the Louvre reopened to confused and tired visitors.

Monday’s strike comes after French President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier this year that the centuries-old Louvre would undergo renovations to include a separate wing for the Mona Lisa to control crowds better.

The “New Renaissance” project, which will repair and modernize the former royal palace, will take a decade to complete. Ticket prices are slated to go up next year for tourists who do not live in the European Union to help pay for the project.

Last year alone, 8.7 million tourists visited the Louvre with many complaining about insufficient signage, tight spaces and lack of restrooms. The Louvre was originally designed to accommodate 4 million visitors a year.

Louvre President Laurence des Cars, who was appointed in 2021, limited visitors to 30,000 a day after attendance surged in 2018 to more than 10 million. He has warned that parts of the museum are “no longer watertight” and that fluctuating temperatures could damage the priceless artwork.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru demolishes Punjab Kings with eight-wicket win to reach first IPL final since 2016.

Virat Kohli inched closer to a maiden Indian Premier League title after Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Punjab Kings by eight wickets in a lopsided qualifier to reach the final of the 10-team tournament.

A superlative performance by their bowlers in Thursday’s game left Bengaluru needing only 102 to make Sunday’s final and they reached the target in just 10 overs with opener Phil Salt, who made 56 not out, leading the charge.

Punjab can still make the final if they can win the second qualifier against the winner of Friday’s eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.

Kohli made 12, but has been Bengaluru’s leading scorer this season.

The former India captain has been with the franchise since the inaugural 2008 edition of the league. Bengaluru reached the finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but were beaten on all three occasions.

“It’s a great feeling right now,” Salt said. “Obviously, we had a second bite at the cherry, but it’s such a good feeling to get that out of the way first-time.

“It just gives us that momentum. It’s such a cliche, but it’s so true at the back end of the tournament.”

Bengaluru have looked formidable this season and,

electing to field, their fiery pace attack, led by a returning Josh Hazlewood, bundled out Punjab in 14.1 overs.

Having recovered from a shoulder niggle, Hazlewood led Bengaluru’s superb pace display as they reduced Punjab to 71-7 at the halfway stage of their innings.

Hazlewood’s (3-21) victims included rival skipper Shreyas Iyer, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed the important wicket of Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab’s leading scorer this season.

Marcus Stoinis made 26 before losing his stumps to leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, who claimed 3-17 in his three overs.

Kyle Jamieson removed Kohli in the fourth over, but Bengaluru raced to 61-1 in their six powerplay overs, compared with Punjab’s 48-4, with Salt hitting boundaries almost at will.

Salt took 23 balls to bring up his fifty and skipper Rajat Patidar hit a six to seal Bengaluru’s victory in a match that lasted only 24.1 overs.

A HUGE coffee chain with more than 1,300 UK branches has shuttered one of its high street shops.

Starbucks abruptly pulled the plug on its coffee house in Headington, Oxford.

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The location on the town’s London Road notified punters that the “shop is now closed” on a store window sign.

The coffee giant first waved in customers in October 2007.

It is unknown why Starbucks decided to close down the location.

Starbucks now has two remaining locations in Oxford, according to its website, which are located on Cornmarket Street and Westgate Shopping Centre.

The Sun Online has reached out to Starbucks for comment.

In April last year, Starbucks announced the closure of one of its Reading cafes, leaving some shoppers “shocked”.

And in March 2024, locals were saddened to hear their Dalton Park store, in Murton, Country Durham, would be closing down in hours.

RETAIL APOCALYPSE

Both independent and industry giants have been struggling with rising costs and reduced footfall over the past few years.

Dozens of shops are set to close across the country before the end of the month in the latest blow to UK high streets.

Just a few months into 2025 and it’s already proving to be another tough year for many major brands.

Rising living costs – which mean shoppers have less cash to burn – and an increase in online shopping has battered retail in recent years.

In some cases, landlords are either unwilling or unable to invest in keeping shops open, further speeding up the closures.

Smiggle isn’t the only stationary shop shutting its doors, more WHSmiths stores are set to close in the next few months.

The huge sports retailer, Sports Direct is axed its Newmarket Road store in Cambridge on April 18.

Whilst, Red Menswear in Chatham in Medway, Kent, shut for the final time on Saturday, March 29, after selling men’s clothing since 1999.

A couple months ago, Essential Vintage told followers on social that it would be closing down after they had been “priced out” because of bigger players in the market such as Vinted.

Jewellery brand Beaverbrooks is also shutting three shops early this month.

New Look bosses made the decision to axe nearly 100 branches as they battle challenges linked to Autumn Budget tax changes.

Approximately a quarter of the retailer’s 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire.

This equates to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on New Look’s 8,000-strong workforce.

It’s understood the latest drive to accelerate closures is driven by the upcoming increase in National Insurance contributions for employers.

The move, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in October, is hitting retailers hard – and the British Retail Consortium has predicted these changes will create a £2.3billion bill for the sector.

Boxing world champion Claressa Shields says she is “done” with mixed martial arts after competing in three fights with the PFL.

Shields, 30, is unbeaten in boxing and a multiple-weight undisputed champion, but has fought sporadically in MMA since 2021, achieving a 2-1 record.

Her last MMA bout was a points win over Kelsey de Santis and the American says she will now be focusing on boxing.

“It was fun, but I don’t have enough time to train for it. It takes six to eight months just to get ready to defend takedowns. Even though I got a lot better and put in the time, I broke my arm twice. It was fun, and I enjoyed every fight I did,” Shields told Ariel Helwani, external.

“I’m already great in boxing, and to be great like that in MMA, I would have to train consistently for at least three to four years.

“I did really well in MMA. It was fun, but it was too hard.”

Shields took a two-and-a-half-year break between her second and third MMA fights.

The Michigan native recently added the undisputed heavyweight title to her world title collection.

Shields has become world champion in five different weight classes and is undefeated in 16 fights.

The Olympic gold medalist said she did have ambitions of becoming an MMA world champion, but admitted her family were keen for her to focus on boxing.

“My family never wanted me to do it,” she added.

“I did it because I wanted to prove a point, and I proved that point to myself three times, though you could say twice because I won twice.”

AN AWARD-WINNING pub has been forced to close after opening its doors just two years ago. 

The luxury eatery was voted as the best pub in the Midlands and even were finalists for the best Desi grill of the year 2024.

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The Emerald in Nottingham offered a huge range of Indian dishes and had become a thriving community hub. 

The pub doubled as a sports bar, attracting both hungry diners and football fans – in what the owners have described as a “cultural space” and a “labour of love”. 

However, after being open for just two years, The Emerald has been forced to shut its doors for good. 

The eatery has battled with soaring costs, as well as crushing internal pressures. 

Announcing its closure on Facebook, The Emerald issued a lengthy and emotional post in which it thanked its loyal fan base. 

A spokesperson for the pub said: “The Emerald was always more than just a pub—it was an Indian pub, a cultural space, and a labour of love that aimed to bring something different to our community. 

“We will forever hold dear the memories, the celebrations, and the friendships that were forged within its walls.

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your unwavering support. It has meant everything to us.”

Fans flooded the comment section of the post, sharing their incredible stories and experiences from their trips to the pub. 

One Facebook user wrote: “Very saddened to hear this and we always loved Emerald, it was more like home for us and will be missed. 

“Thank you for all the lovely food and memories we have created at Emerald specially watching cricket and more importantly India winning the world cup. 

“All the very best team Emerald for future!!”

Another shared: “Such sad news always made me and my family very welcome thank you for what you have tried to do.”

However, in its Facebook post, The Emerald detailed internal pressures which had contributed to its closure – which is scheduled to take place on May 31. 

A spokesperson for the pub detailed how the departure of a business partner had created “emotional, financial and operational” strain which affected the “day-to-day running of the pub”. 

The spokesperson also pointed to soaring costs as a major factor behind the closure of the pub. 

They wrote: “Rising costs—including a significant increase in barrel prices, rent, and business rates—have placed a substantial financial burden on us, ultimately making the business unsustainable.

 “Although we explored the possibility of selling the business to enable someone else to carry on what we began, we were unable to move forward due to conditions and restrictions that were beyond our control.

“More broadly, the current economic climate and policy environment have created immense pressures for small businesses, making it increasingly difficult for independent establishments like ours to survive.”

Many other businesses have faced closure, just like The Emerald.

Some businesses have laid the blame at the door of Rachel Reeves – arguing that her decision to increase National Insurance contributions and minimum wage have raised the cost of running a business.

However, The Chancellor has argued that her decisions were necessary to stabilise the economy that she inherited from the Conservatives. 

In April 2025, the economy grew by 0.5% though Labour have said that they want to go even further with boosting economic growth. 

Other businesses, including the luxury restaurant La Goccia, have blamed “Covid” and “Brexit” for leading to their closure. 

The business told the Telegraph that they were unable to “recruit people with the right experience and skills” after Britain left the EU.

High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.

However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.

The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.

At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.

It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”

It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.

End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.

It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.

This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.

It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.

The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.

Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.

Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.

Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.

“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”

A BELOVED family-run shop has closed its doors after an incredible 125 years, with the owner saying it’s finally “time for a holiday.”

Burrows Newsagent, a city centre landmark since 1899, in Ely, served its last customers on April 26.

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According to Better Retailing, the Cambridgeshire shop was overwhelmed with thanks from loyal customers past and present as it shut for good.

Annabel Reddick, the only full-time employee and niece of owner Jeff Burrows, said the final day was packed with emotion.

“People were constantly coming in saying ‘thank you,’ bringing presents and cards,” she said.

The shop was first opened by Jeff’s grandfather, James Frederick Burrows, and stayed in the family across four generations.

Annabel’s great-grandfather passed it on to her grandfather Percy, then to Jeff, with Annabel stepping in as part of the team.

“It has always been a traditional family business,” Annabel told Retail Express.

“My mum worked here until a year before she died, and another member of staff retired about the same time — but even then, he kept coming back to help us.”

The shop was more than just a place to buy newspapers.

It became a vital community hub, offering a personal touch that’s rare these days.

The decision to close didn’t come easily.

Burrows provided a crucial paper delivery service, with about 20 boys and girls delivering to nearly 700 loyal customers every morning.

Jeff, who began working full-time in the shop in 1965, took over from his father in 1973.

He recalled being a young boy, helping collect papers from the station on the 6:40am train.

As Jeff told the BBC, the shop has always opened early, 5am every day except Christmas, and stuck to a cash or cheque-only system.

“By the time you’ve paid the charges, you’d make very little,” he explained.

The shop employed around 500 paperboys and papergirls over the years, giving many teens their first taste of work.

“It taught them to count, responsibility, and commitment,” Annabel said.

A week before the final day, more than 80 former paper deliverers gathered to take a group photo outside the shop, sharing stories and celebrating the shop’s legacy.

The final day was meant to be a quiet goodbye, but the community had other plans.

“We made a point of closing the door at 4pm and blocking it, but we kept getting a flow of customers and visitors,” Annabel laughed.

Sadly, Jeff missed the big farewell due to illness.

Burrows stuck to magazines, newspapers, and a few greeting cards, while the high street around it changed.

Local businesses joined in the tributes, with the Ely Museum posting online: “Burrows will undoubtedly be missed.

Jeff has sold his paper round to a national company and plans to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

“We haven’t had to close,” Jeff said. “This is purely about retirement — and spending more time at the caravan in north Norfolk.”

He sent a heartfelt letter to customers, thanking them for their support and saying the family was “proud and honoured to be part of Ely’s history for all these years.”

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Russia says Ukraine has launched an overnight drone attack targeting Moscow for the second night in a row.

All four of the capital’s major airports were closed for several hours to ensure safety but later reopened, Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said on Telegram.

Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on social media at least 19 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed before they reached the city “from different directions”. He said some of the debris had landed on one of the key highways into the city, but there were no casualties.

Ukraine has not yet commented. But the mayor of Kharkiv said Russia had also carried out drone strikes in the city overnight, as well as in the Kyiv area.

The governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said one person was killed in a drone strike.

It is the second night in a row that Russia has reported a drone attack by Ukraine – on Monday, Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Unconfirmed reports by Russian military bloggers suggested windows of an apartment in the south of Moscow were smashed.

As well as in Moscow, the governors of other Russian cities, including Penza and Voronezh, also said they had been targeted by drones overnight into Tuesday.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, Kyiv has launched several drone attacks on Moscow. Its biggest attack in March killed three people.

It comes after reports on Monday of fresh attempts by Ukraine to cross into Russia’s Kursk region.

Kyiv said it had hit a drone command unit in the Kursk region on Sunday near the Russian village of Tyotkino, according to the Ukrainian general staff.

In April, Moscow said it had regained control of the entire region, nine months after a Ukrainian forces launched a surprise invasion. Kyiv insists it still has soldiers operating across the border.

Also in Kursk, Russian officials reported an electrical substation in the town of Rylsk lost power on Monday after being damaged in an attack by Ukraine.

Two transformers at the substation in Rylsk had been damaged, according to acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

He added two teenagers had been injured by shrapnel from the blast.

Multiple Russian military bloggers also reported that Ukrainian forces had attempted to cross into the village, posting images – as yet unverified by the BBC – of vehicles breaking through tank traps on the border.

On Monday, Ukrainian forces fired missiles over the border and crossed minefields in special vehicles, according to the bloggers.

“The enemy blew up bridges with rockets at night and launched an attack with armoured groups in the morning,” blogger RVvoenkor said according to Reuters news agency.

“The mine clearance vehicles began to make passages in the minefields, followed by armoured vehicles with troops. There is a heavy battle going on at the border.”

In a statement on Monday, Ukraine said: “Nine months after the start of the Kursk operation, Ukraine’s Defence Forces maintain a military presence on the territory of Russia’s Kursk region.”

While there has been no official response from Moscow, some military bloggers have also published maps showing opposing forces attempting to cross the border in two places towards Tyotkino – near where the drone command unit that was hit.

Meanwhile, in Sumy – around 12km across the border from Tyotkino in north-eastern Ukraine – local authorities urged people to evacuate from two settlements, Reuters reported.

Ukraine originally made its surprise incursion into Kursk in August 2024 to create a buffer zone and protect Sumy and surrounding areas, while also hoping to use it as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. May Madness has arrived in high school sports, the final month of the 2024-25 season.

Month of championships

Corona High’s Seth Hernandez.

(Jerry Soifer)

Get ready for a month of section, regional and state championships as the 2024-25 sports season comes to a close.

Here’s a look at the calendar and options to attend.

Dodger Stadium will be the site for the City Section baseball championships on May 24. It remains the most special destination every season for lucky City players who make it. El Camino Real, Birmingham and Venice are the early contenders.

Cal State Fullerton or Blair Field will host the Southern Section baseball finals May 30-31. Someone will have to eliminate Corona to win it all in Division 1. Pitcher Seth Hernandez has an astounding 88 strikeouts and just three walks in 42 1/3 innings. Make sure you take an afternoon off to see him pitch before he’s taken No. 1 or No. 2 in this summer’s amateur draft. He has a 98-mph fastball.

The Southern Section track and field prelims take place this weekend. There are so many male and female runners ready to unleash their best performances in the coming weeks leading up to the state championships at the end of the month at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Prepare for a month of excitement, surprises, tears of happiness and tears of disappointment.

Baseball

Crespi coach Mike Glendenning (right) got to celebrate a Mission League championship on Friday.

(Craig Weston)

Crespi clinched the Mission League championship by winning two of three games over Harvard-Westlake. Catcher Landon Hodge was impressive hitting. Sophomore Mikey Martinez turned in a stellar relief performance. Nate Lopez came through in the clutch. Here’s a report.

Santa Margarita claimed the Trinity League’s final automatic playoff berth with a win over Servite on Friday.

Arcadia wrapped up an unbeaten Pacific League season. Summit has won 19 consecutive games. Norco ended Big VIII League play with 11 wins in its last 12 games.

Birmingham dropped two games to Granada Hills in the West Valley League, which means the Patriots must sweep El Camino Real in a two-game series this week to win the title. El Camino Real has a one-game lead and is on a 12-game league winning streak.

Venice lost a nonleague game to San Pedro to drop to 24-2 but is unbeaten in the Western League. City Section pairings will be announced Saturday with Southern Section pairings Sunday.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

It’s time for the annual warning that seems to be ignored yearly. Batting practice before Southern Section playoff games is not allowed and could result in forfeits. Parents and coaches have been known to break out their cameras to take video to prove the illegality. And protests must be made before the first pitch to the umpire. Then it’s up to the Southern Section to decide if the violation is deserving of a forfeit. Good luck and make sure your video is clear.

Softball

Orange Lutheran has clinched the Trinity League championship. Kai Minor leads the team with 40 hits, a .488 batting average and 31 RBIs.

It’s been a wild season in the Crestview League, where Garden Grove Pacifica (7-4) is trying to hold off El Modena (7-5), Anaheim Canyon (6-5) and Cypress (6-5).

Norco has clinched the Big VIII League title but lost for only the third time all season in a 7-4 defeat to Eastvale Roosevelt.

Rosary is 24-2-1 and 9-0 in the Pacific Coast League. Sophomore Jenna Caldera is hitting .570 with 49 hits.

In the City Section, San Pedro (7-0) has a two-game lead over defending City champion Carson (5-2) in the Marine League. Dahlia Davila is batting .509.

Granada Hills has a two-game lead over Birmingham in the West Valley League and is 21-3.

Track

Demare Dezeurn of Bishop Alemany finishes up running 10.32 seconds in the 100 meters at the Mission League finals.

(Craig Weston)

Demare Dezeurn said he runs track to help his receiving skills in football.

“This is for football to get me faster,” he said before running the 100 meters at the Thursday’s Mission League track and field finals Thursday at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

His coach at Bishop Alemany, Terrell Stanley, said he gave Dezeurn permission to run a fast time. Dezeurn then ran a wind legal 10.32 seconds, second fastest in the state. Here’s the report.

Rodney Sermons ran a wind-aided 10.30 100 meters at the Baseline League finals.

The Trinity League finals were filled with top performances. Servite set a meet record in the 4×100 relay at 40.48.

Servite freshman Jaelen Hunter broke the meet record in the 400 at 46.32. There were nine runners who broke 11 seconds in the boys 100 with Servite’s Benjamin Harris running 10.45. Santa Margarita’s Leo Francis ran the 200 in 20.99. Eden Murray of Mater Dei won the girls 100 in 12.08

Beach volleyball

Redondo Union teammates congratulate Bella Jones (far right) after her championship-winning kill Saturday against league rival Mira Costa that clinched the Southern Section girls’ beach volleyball title.

(Steve Galluzzo / For the Times)

Rivals Mira Costa and Redondo Union faced off for the Southern Section Division 1 championship, and Redondo upset the top-seeded Mustangs in matches filled with drama. Here’s the report.

Venice won the City Section championship. Here’s the report.

Notes . . .

Braun Levi was a standout tennis player at Loyola.

(Steve Galluzzo)

Tragedy struck the Loyola High community with the death of tennis standout Braun Levi, the team’s captain who was killed in a traffic accident. He’s the report. . . .

The Southern Section baseball championship games will be played May 30 and 31 at Cal State Fullerton and Blair Field in Long Beach. . . .

Orange Lutheran has hired Nate Klitzing as its new boys basketball coach. He had been at Crean Lutheran for seven years and is a former Orange Lutheran assistant. . . .

Debbie Shaffer has resigned as tennis coach at Mater Dei. . . .

Savannah Seiler is the new girls basketball coach at Edison. . . .

Quarterback Derek Garcia from Ventura has committed to UNLV. . . .

Jeremiah Soifer, who was a longtime high school sportswriter during his days with the Riverside Press-Enterprise and recently inducted into the Norco High Hall of Fame, died last week. He was 80. He became a photographer in retirement. . . .

Former Oaks Christian running back Marc Tyler is the school’s first girls flag football coach.

Nathan Santa Cruz, a 400-meter runner at Venice, has committed to Cal Poly Poly. He was the player who came back from a serious football injury in 2022 that required brain surgery. . . .

Standout guard Isaiah Bennett from AGBU has committed to the University of La Verne. . . .

Junior receiver Luc Weaver of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to USC. He ran a 10.68 100 meters at the Mission League track finals. . . .

Mater Dei pitcher Brandon Thomas has committed to Fresno State. . . .

Former Iowa wrestler Charles Matthews is the new wrestling coach at San Clemente. . . .

Brothers Bear and Tiger Bachmeier are transferring from Stanford to BYU for football. They were standouts at Murrieta Valley.

From the archives: Roman Martin

Roman Martin of Servite in 2022.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Servite infielder Roman Martin has become a standout in his sophomore season at UCLA.

He entered this week hitting .300 with 45 hits, three home runs and 33 RBIs.

He’s part of a Servite contingent that has been performing well for UCLA, including Jarrod Hocking and Chris Grotheus.

Here’s a story from 2022 of Martin hitting a grand slam.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Dodgers manager Dave Roberts adopting the Palisades baseball team and helping out the program after the school and field became unavailable after the Palisades fire.

From the Washington Post, a story on how Maryland is known for lacrosse but one county is playing catch up.

From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a story on star Maranatha pitcher Zach Strickland.

From Floridatoday, a story on high school football coaches hoping for a raise.

Tweets you might have missed

A PUB that has hosted some top-notch A-listers in its heyday has “heartbreakingly” closed after over a century-and-a-half of delighting locals and visitors alike. 

The Kirkton Inn has delighted pub lovers in the village of Darymple for over a century, and its sudden closure on Monday, April 28, has sent shockwaves through the community. 

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The quirky establishment’s peculiar charm attracted Hollywood royalty such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones who popped in for a drink, it has been claimed.

The hotel and pubs’ parent company,  Eurotrade Windows, run by John and Heather Keenan, has been in financial straits for at least two years. 

Company accounts show that in December 2023, the firm was almost £750,000 in debt, and lost more than £300,000 that year alone.

Last month, the court ordered liquidators to shutter the picturesque pub, which closed its doors on April 9 and has not reopened. 

Dating back to 1875, the building is one of the oldest in the village and has been a community hub for nearly 150 years. 

In 2018, the Keenans bought and invested in the pub.

They completely renovated the building, dedicating “their heart and soul” to the family-run venture, which had suffered a few “torrid” years under the management of a brewery. 

Regulars lamented the loss on social media despite the pub’s management not announcing the closure. 

Bertie Rooney said: “Must be heartbreaking for John and Heather.

“They spent a fortune renovating the Kirkton and the family-run Eurotrade.

“The pub has been trading without a break for over 35 years and has given many a young lad a job over the years. 

“I wish them the best in an unfortunate situation.”

Sophie Harrison added: “Our favourite place. So sorry for the staff, Chris was always so great with us.”

Scott Miller said: “Massive blow for Dalrymple as a village.

“Food was lovely, nice restaurant and bar, staff were all great. 

“Only negative thing was it was an expensive place to eat, but you get what you pay for.”

Stephanie Leitch said: “Sad news. I can only imagine how hard it is in the hospitality industry these days, especially in small villages. Thinking of the owners and staff going through this tough time. I hope it can reopen one day.”

Fiona Allan added: “This is really sad. Wishing Heather and her family better times ahead.

“I understand they were great employers for their staff.”

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