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Posted August 4, 2022 | 3:55 PM


Weekly ECC newsletter contains upcoming business workshops, special events, and resources

Interested in starting a business, brushing up on a skill, or just networking with other business professionals? Hillsborough County’s Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (ECC) is the place to be. Centrally located at 2101 E. Palm Ave., Tampa, 33605 (free parking at 2109 E. 11th Ave.), the ECC provides entrepreneurs and small businesses of all types easy access to business service providers, resources, mentorship, and specialty training through more than 80 business and community partners.

No membership is necessary to take advantage of the free and low-cost services available through the ECC and its service partners. And staying up to date on what is happening is as easy as subscribing to the weekly ECC events newsletter. Each Tuesday, more than 12,000 subscribers get an ad-free snapshot of in-person, hybrid, and virtual training opportunities and events, upcoming presenters, and special programming.

Still want to keep up-to-date old-school style? Check out the Hillsborough County Business Workshops and Training Calendar available online.

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UPDATE: Disturbance at London pride event leads to arrest

Police at Wortley Pride (Image courtesy of viraguita via Twitter)


A man has been arrested and faces several criminal charges following an incident at the inaugural Wortley Pride Event.

The London Police Service (LPS) responded to an emergency call in South London at approximately 2:16 p.m. on Saturday.

Police said that a large altercation had taken place in the area of Wortley Road and Duchess Avenue during the pride celebration.

Members of the crowd reported on social media, that a man parked his truck in the street to prevent access to the event and  shouted anti-LGBTQ slurs.

Kathy Bell, the Wortley Pride Chair, said that she wasn’t a part of the initial confrontation, but was given reports of what happened from other festival-goers.

“I do know that an individual in a white truck, with Canadian Flags blowing in the bed of the truck, laid continuously on their horn as they drove up Duchess and down Wortley. I thought that would be the end of it, but they circled back around and then I saw them stop on Wortley,” Bell said. When the actual altercation began the police were contacted immediately.

She added that the event continued despite the interruption. “This incident demonstrates why we need to continue to raise awareness and educate the community. Love is Love!”

A walking parade and drag show followed the disturbance.

Bell said that the community want to see Wortley Pride return next year and, as of right now, that is the plan.

The investigation is ongoing and police ask that anyone with information call the LPS at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Local cowboy leads in two events after opening performance of Quesnel Rodeo : My Cariboo Now

Local cowboy leads in two events after opening performance of Quesnel Rodeo : My Cariboo Now

   A local cowboy has a share of the lead in two events after last (Friday) night’s opening performance of the 55th annual Quesnel Rodeo.

   Dyson LeNeve and Gracie Antoine from Cache Creek are first in the #8 Team Roping with a time of 7.9 seconds, and LeNeve and John Hancock of Quesnel are number one in the Open Team Roping with a time of 7 and 5.

   Other Cariboo leaders after performance number one include Dustin Nicholson of Quesnel in the Steer Wrestling with a 6 and 5, Cody Braaten from 150-Mile has a share of the lead in the Tie Down Roping, and Jordyn Farmer from Quesnel is leading the Junior Breakaway roping.

   Some other results of note include the Al Puhallo team from Quesnel winning the Wild Horse Race on opening night.

   Dariene Andros from Williams Lake is sitting in second place in the Open Barrel Racing, Reese Colgate from the Lake City is currently number two in the Junior Barrels, Williams Lake’s Briana Billy is second in the Open Breakaway Roping, Julia Bowden from Quesnel and Chad Braaten from 150 Mile are second in the #8 Team Roping, and Brandon Loring from Riske Creek is sitting in second in the Steer Riding.

   There is a slack performance this (Saturday) morning at Alex Fraser Park.

   Performance number two starts at 2 o’clock this afternoon.

   After today, the top 10 in each of the major events and the top 6 in the junior and pee wee events will qualify for the finals on Championship Sunday.

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DeChambeau joins LIV Golf as Schwartzel leads inaugural event

DeChambeau joins LIV Golf as Schwartzel leads inaugural event

ST. ALBANS, England — Former U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau became the latest big name to sign on with the Saudi-funded breakaway series LIV Golf, and Charl Schwartzel remained on course Friday to win the maximum prize of $4.75 million at its inaugural event outside London. 

That kind of big money has already convinced a long line of leading golfers — although none from the top 10 so far — to accept offers from the series bankrolled by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. DeChambeau is yet to explain why he made an about-turn to join that list, having previously said he would continue playing on the PGA Tour. That may not be possible now, as the PGA Tour announced Thursday that players who defect to the renegade series will face banishment from future tour events.

DeChambeau will be joining a series that already features Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, who are also among the golfers to have spent the week facing questions about the decision to sign up given Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations. 

On the course, Schwartzel shot a 4-under 66 to take a three-shot lead over fellow South African Hennie Du Plessis in the fight for the $4 million individual first prize at the 54-hole event, which will be decided on Saturday. Both players are on the Stinger team which is leading the way to share a $3 million purse for the best four-man team.

DeChambeau’s signing was announced as the second round was taking place.

“He is passionate about the sport, innovative in his approach and committed to pushing the boundaries in pursuit of excellence,” LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said in a statement. “He’s not afraid to think outside the box and supports our mission of doing things differently to grow our game. The power and energy he brings to the course will deliver added electricity to our competition in Portland and beyond.” 

The 28th-ranked American could make his LIV Golf debut at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, from June 30.

“I don’t know how the field will look in Portland,” two-time major winner Martin Kaymer said. “If you can play against more players who are up there in the world rankings … it’s also proof that this tour here and this tournament is going into the right direction.

“They are staying in their frame, they are doing what they promised to do with the game of golf, and within a few weeks, that event so far has been great, especially in the time frame.”

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Anna Hall Leads Heptathlon at USATF Combined Events Championships Through Four Events – Florida Gators

Anna Hall Leads Heptathlon at USATF Combined Events Championships Through Four Events - Florida Gators
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Florida heptathlete Anna Hall put up a pair of personal bests in the 100-meter hurdles (13.21) and the 200 meters (23.14) to take the lead through four events at the USATF Combined Events Championships on Friday evening.
 
The 3781 points that Hall scored on the first day of action is 21 more than she scored on the first day of the Texas Relays back in March, putting her on pace for a new personal record.
 
Hall got things started on Friday afternoon by laying down a big-time personal best of 13.21 (+1.8) in the 100-meter hurdles.
 
Her mark moves her into No. 9 all-time in Florida history in the 100-meter hurdles.
 
The Highlands Ranch, Colo. native cleared 1.76m/5-9.25 in the High Jump and threw 12.51/41-0.5 in the Shot Put to put her into fifth heading into the 200 meters, the final event of the day.
 
Hall kicked it into high gear to close out Friday’s action, running 23.14 in the 200 meters to take first, score 1065 points and move all the way into the lead after the conclusion of four events.
 
That mark of 23.14 is just one-hundredth of a second off the all-time collegiate best set in a Heptathlon 200 meters (23.13).
 
Hall’s outstanding performances in the hurdles and 200 meters ensured a first-day lead against the rest of the field.
 
She returns to action tomorrow to close out the competition with the Long Jump and the Javelin before ending with one of her premier events, the 800 meters.
 
Hall needs to finish in the Top 3, or in fourth with Kendell Williams in the top 3, to secure her spot on Team USA for this summer’s World Championships.
 
If she makes the American team, Hall will also need to secure the World Championships qualifying standard (6420) during this weekend or at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
 
Action in Fayetteville picks back up at 4:00 p.m. EST with the Long Jump and will run through the 800 meters at 6:15 p.m. EST tomorrow evening.
 
Heptathlon Standings (Through Four Events)
1. Anna Hall (3781)
2. Chari Hawkins (3750)
3. Michelle Atherley (3673)
4. Taliyah Brooks (3662)
5. Kendell Williams (3659)
                                                                                                                                                           
A complete list of results for the Gators is below.
 









Friday, May 6th: USATF Combined Events Championships
Event Place, Gators – Time / Mark | Notes
Heptathlon: 100mH    5. Anna Hall: 13.21 (+1.8) (1093) | Personal Best
Heptathlon: High Jump  4. Anna Hall: 1.76m/5-9.25 (928)
Heptathlon: Shot Put  6. Anna Hall: 12.51m/41-0.5 (695)
Heptathlon: 200m   1. Anna Hall: 23.14 (+1.2) (1065) | Personal Best

 
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Carter Morton leads Drake Relays decathlon after first day of events – UNI Athletics

Carter Morton leads Drake Relays decathlon after first day of events - UNI Athletics

UNI track and field at the Drake Relays

  • April 26-30, 2022
  • Drake Stadium  |  Des Moines, Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa — UNI track and field decathlete Carter Morton is leading the Drake Relays field after the first day. 

Teammates Zack Butcher and Drew Bartels are among the top five, sitting in third and fourth, respectively. 

Morton had the top mark in long jump with a leap of 7.12 meters (23 feet, 4.5 inches). He also won the high jump, clearing 2.04 meters (6-8.25).

The Panthers swept the top three places in long jump with Bartels and Butcher taking second and third, respectively. 

Bartels and Butcher finished 1-2 in the 100-meter dash in 10.99 seconds and 11.05 seconds. Matt Davis and Morton were fourth and fifth. 

Butcher led the field in the 400-meter dash in a time of 48.88 seconds with Bartels and Morton taking third and fourth. 

On the women’s side, Lydia Berns-Schweingruber finished the first day of the heptathlon  in third place. 

Kelly Proesch and Sydney Durbin rounded out the top 10, sitting in seventh and ninth. Amanda Lietz was in 12th place. 

The men’s events will get underway with the 110-meter hurdles at 10 a.m. tomorrow, and the women will open with the long jump at 11 a.m. 

 

FROM WEDNESDAY

Assistant coach Alexina Teubel opened the Panthers’ appearance at the 2022 Drake Relays with a third-place finish in the Grand Blue Mile. 

The event returned to Downtown Des Moines on April 26 for the first time since 2019. Emily Lipari defended her title to finish first in the group of 11 women’s runners, with a finish time of 4:32.30. 

Jen Randall and Alexina Teubel finished in second and third place, with 4:32.68 and 4:34.28 respective finish times.

 

Women’s USATF 1 Mile Road Championship Presented by Toyota Top-10

  1. Emily Lipari, 4:32.30
  2. Jen Randall, 4:32.68
  3. Alexina Teubel, 4:34.28
  4. Allie Wilson, 4:36.75
  5. Alycia Cridebring, 4:40.40
  6. Anna Connor 4:40.85
  7. Emily Richards, 4:44.35
  8. Lauren Berman, 4:46.35
  9. Karisa Nelson, 4:49.97
  10. Katie Follett, 4:58.25

 

UP NEXT

The Panthers will wrap up Thursday with Seb Gearhart and Drake Hanson in the unseeded 800-meter run at 5:08 p.m. 

Paige Holub will compete in the unseeded division of the 1,500-meter run at 5:16 p.m. tomorrow. 

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Strong Showing in Field Events Leads Penn State on First Day of Split-Squad Meets – Penn State University Athletics

Strong Showing in Field Events Leads Penn State on First Day of Split-Squad Meets - Penn State University Athletics

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Penn State track and field teams collected seven event victories and two field event sweeps on a successful opening day of split-squad action at the UCF Knights Invitational and Raleigh Relays Friday.

In addition to the seven event victories, multiple athletes achieved personal records and top-10 program placements in the strong Penn State showing Friday.

Indoor Big Ten runner-up Katie Jones kicked the day off in Orlando with a first-place finish in women’s pole vault, clearing a height of 4.00m. The win began a dominant string of field events for Penn State that saw Tyler Merkley come out on top of a Nittany Lions men’s discus sweep, with a throw of 52.11m. Senior Thomas Bojalad and sophomore Duane Knisely rounded out the sweep with throws of 51.13m and 48.23m, respectively. The duo followed up by also placing second and third, respectively, in men’s shot put, with marks of 16.69m and 16.24m.

Indoor Big Ten bronze medal winner Breanna Gambrell won the women’s long jump with a mark of 6.24m, setting both a new outdoor personal record as well as the eighth-best jump in Penn State history.

Strong performances by the men’s throwers continued after first-year Collin Burkhart spearheaded another Nittany Lion sweep, winning the men’s javelin with a new personal best throw of 68.19m. Kevin Bartosh followed in second with a throw of 65.06m, and Tristan Schmidt completed the sweep with a distance of 61.48m. On the women’s side, the duo of Madison Smith (44.37m) and Ryann Brundage (40.79m) placed second and third in strong showings.

Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year Mallory Kauffman saw two top-3 finishes on the day, as she placed third in women’s discus with a toss of 45.58m before finishing second in women’s shot put with a throw of 16.82m.

On the track, Penn State saw a sweep of the 400m hurdles from both the men’s and women’s side, as both Godwin Kabanda (54.08) and Antoninette Bradley (1:00.42) secured first-place finishes. Ka’mere Day won the men’s 200m dash with a new personal best time of 21.02.

In their outdoor debuts, Korbin Martino finished fourth in the men’s 200 with a personal best time of 21.45, and Allen Taylor finished second in the men’s 400m hurdles with a 54.92.

In the Raleigh Relays, Madaline Ullom ran the ninth-fastest women’s 1500m in program history with a time of 4:20.27. Makenna Krebs achieved a new personal best time of 4:29.01. Senior Connor McMenamin led Penn State in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:03.26. 

Penn State closed out the day in the 5000m race, with Faith DeMars running a time of 16:27.07 and Alison Willingmyre running a 16:35.41. Sophomore Sophia Toti finished with a time of 16:40.34.

The Nittany Lions will resume action in Orlando tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. ET, beginning with women’s hammer throw.

 

FULL DAY 1 RESULTS:

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A lack of events for creatives leads Guelph woman creates her own to help showcase others

A lack of events for creatives leads Guelph woman creates her own to help showcase others

‘I saw that there was a need for everyone to showcase their own talent,’ said Lilia Mohamed, event coordinator of Backyard Fest and Indie Art Fest

Dissatisfied by the lack of events for artists, one Guelph woman is behind a series of events ‘unlike anything seen in Guelph,’ aimed at providing a platform for creatives and their work.

“I want them to showcase their talents, their art and I also want them to make profits and sell,” said Lilia Mohamed, the coordinator of Backyard Fest and the upcoming Indie Art Fest, the first of which happens Friday, March 18.

An abstract artist herself, Mohamed wanted a space for creatives and the general public to interact and build relationships. That idea expanded to include small business ventures that started during the pandemic and performances, resulting in Backyard Fest.

“It was just an event I wanted to put together,” said Mohamed about Backyard Fest, which took place September 2021.

For that event, Mohamed said she and a friend constructed a stage using wood they sourced from Kijiji and a neighbour, who helped them build the stage. There were some challenges along the way, including finding vendors and a ticket from bylaw, but Mohamed said she was proud of the turnout.

“Last Summer when I did Backyard Fest, I was so stressed out, but then the amount of love I got for it afterwards it made my whole day,” said Mohamed. “I was pretty happy with that.”

After Backyard Fest, Mohamed said the student group, Curtain Call Productions, hired her to be their event coordinator. Now, she has organized another upcoming festival called Indie Art Fest, where door ticket proceeds will support the group and its production of Freaky Friday Musical.

“I saw that there was a need for everyone to showcase their own talent, and I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I should put on another event,'” said Mohamed.

“I’m getting absolutely nothing, which I’m okay with, because I would love to see this myself. I would pay to go to events like this myself.”

Happening March 18 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Indie Art Fest will have performances from students at the University of Guelph, a local artist and different vendors. Door tickets cost $15 and $10 for students with student ID. Mohamed said the event will take place at Grassroots restaurant, located at 17 Gordon St., just south of downtown.

For Grassroots, Mohamed said this event will be their last.

“They’re closing down on Friday, which is very sad, but they have exhausted all of their options,” said Mohamed, who had previously worked at Grassroots. “I hope to send them out with a bang at least.”

The experience of putting together events has been a learning curve for Mohamed, from learning how to develop a floor plan, building connections and promoting events online. As an artist, she said the events have also been an opportunity to showcase her own art and build her confidence as an artist.

“It’s definitely improved my confidence,” said Mohamed. “I would like to sell, but there’s no time. I’ve put all my efforts into organizing and I don’t have the time to create my own art right now, but, the next show that I do, I want to do something in the summer and I want to do something on a bigger scale, like in a park, and I would do my best to get my art out, but right now I like the way I’m exposing my art.”

In the future, Mohamed would like to see these events become profitable. 

“My hopes is that when I do another event, I can make it profitable, and that I can share some of those profits with the artists.”

For future events, Mohamed has created an Instagram account called WeLoveFests to share upcoming events. To see the Instagram page, click here.

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Wild turn of events leads to ‘gutsy’ Philadelphia Union win in Montreal

Wild turn of events leads to ‘gutsy’ Philadelphia Union win in Montreal

In the 50th minute, all looked lost for the Philadelphia Union.

Just as they had early on in their previous match against Minnesota United, the Union looked disjointed to start out. They looked like a team still ironing out the kinks, shaking off the rust, and whatever other cliche that applies. Already down 1-0 after an unlucky goal off of a deflection in the 32nd minute, Djordje Mihalovic looked to provide the dagger in the 50th.

Mihalovic waltzed right down the middle of the Union defense after a turnover to put the hosts up 2-0. Frustrated Union fans quickly looked for consolation in the loss, the team not looking likely to muster a comeback at the moment. The fanbase’s collective braintrust came to a halt as VAR overruled the goal due to a prior foul. The match from here? Pure chaos.

“That goal that got called back that changed everything, because I think we’re going down to zero, that would suck the air out of us, I think it would have been a lot tougher to come back into the game,” Alejandro Bedoya said post-game. “But, you know, obviously, that gave us a bit of more belief, and gave us a little bit more motivation to get going, because we thought we started that second half a little bit… not so good.”

Just two minutes later Bedoya tied the match back up. Sloppy play in the Montreal box led to a turnover, and the Union captain did not miss his chance. Just a minute later after nearly drawing a foul, Daniel Gazdag scored his first of the season to put the Union up. Just mere minutes after looking to be out of the contest, the Union now had the lead on the road!

“A very gutsy Philadelphia Union type of win.” head coach Jim Curtin said after the match. “Credit to the guys for sticking to things. I thought there was probably a fifteen-minute period there in the second half where we really looked like us, which made me happy… Obviously, we got two goals during that period.”

It took them a while, and it wasn’t for a full match, but there was that window in the second half where the Union looked like the squad advertised during the offseason… one of the top teams in the league. They pressed well and showed some good chemistry. Even after falling to ten men after Julian Carranza was sent off following a second yellow card in the 71st minute, the Union were able to stick together and see out the road victory.

Earlier in the day, fans were trying to find positives in a road loss early in the season, positive points in a loss that wasn’t the end of the world. Despite not playing their best, the Union managed to earn some key points away early in the season. This is the team’s first road win since their 2-1 triumph in Cincinnati last October.

Yes, there are still kinks to be ironed out. Of course, the team needs to come together a bit better. The Union definitely needs to put together a more consistent performance over 90 minutes than they have so far this season. But, two games in Philadelphia are still unbeaten and trending in the right direction.

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Beijing Winter Olympics live updates: Kaillie Humphries leads monobob; snow postpones slopestyle qualifying

Beijing Winter Olympics live updates: Kaillie Humphries leads monobob; snow postpones slopestyle qualifying

YANQING, China — Elana Meyers Taylor’s vision of the Beijing Olympics and the Olympics that are playing out have only a distant relationship to each other. She was sliding Saturday morning, driving her bobsled at harrowing speeds down a track here. That part fits. Little else does.

“I had this whole intention of coming here and doing this with my family,” Meyers Taylor said after her final training run at Yanqing Sliding Center. “I’ve done everything with my family. Every race, everything, it’s all been a family affair.

“And so now to have that shock of all of a sudden being at the Olympics and not being able to spend time with them, that’s something I didn’t plan for. We planned for all kinds of worst-case scenarios at the Games, but this was something that I didn’t see coming.”

The coronavirus may be abating in most parts of the world, but these are still, undeniably, the second straight Covid Olympics. Anyone in China with any affiliation with the Games realizes this. The bubble is real, and the bubble can be suffocating. Life is this: hotel, throat swab, bus, venue, bus, hotel. The Olympics as a cultural exchange is a notion from yesteryear and the future. Maybe someday. Not now.

Meyers Taylor is Team USA’s reminder of all that. These are her fourth Olympics, and she is seeking her fourth medal — her first gold. But on Jan. 29, two days after arriving in China, she tested positive for the coronavirus. So did her husband, Nic Taylor, an alternate on the American men’s bobsled team. So did her son Nico, nearly 2. So did her father, Eddie Meyers, who was permitted to make the trip to help with Nico.