Latest news with #Cadets
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Baseball Top 10: St. John's spends entire season on top
After three months that featured no shortage of high-intensity battles, drama and trophy lifts, The Washington Post's high school baseball rankings finish just as they began: with St. John's on top. The Cadets continued their reign as the area's most dominant program in recent years by putting together a near-perfect 2025 campaign, one that featured just a single loss — none to D.C.-area teams — and culminated with a ninth Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title in 10 seasons. Their dominance earned them country-wide acclaim, landing them in the top 10 of a handful of national rankings, and they never budged from the No. 1 spot in The Post's rankings. St. John's will finish there, having gone wire-to-wire as the top squad in the region.
South Wales Argus
7 days ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Torfaen: Minute's silence for Reverend Canon Harald Thomas
Reverend Canon Harald Thomas, who died on May 16 at his home in Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, after a long illness, had supported a number of Torfaen Borough Council's civic leaders in the role. Council leader Anthony Hunt said: 'Harald was a great friend to many of us and well known for his work through things like the Cadets.' The former British Airways manager was ordained at the Holy Trinity Church in Pontnewydd in 1997 following years of involvement with the church community and recognised with an MBE in the 2007 new year's honours list aged 73. Pontnewydd born and raised he married wife Dorothy at the church in 1963 after a five month whirlwind romance and was a father of two and a grandfather and great-grandfather. He had been a regular compere at community events and summer festivals and served as a chairman of both Cwmbran's Congress Theatre, which he had fought to save from closure, and the Pontypool Jazz Festival while he'd also been involved in local community councils. Rev Thomas' funeral will take place at Holy Trinity Church, Pontnewydd on Thursday, June 12 at 1.30pm. Members at the June 10 full council meeting, in the Civic Centre, Pontypool also offered condolences to cabinet member Mandy Owen following the death of her mother and Cllr Hunt said she was absent from the meeting 'having taken time to grieve'.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Our next police officers' Pigeon Forge Police Department launches first-ever junior police academy
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Pigeon Forge Police Department wrapped up its first-ever junior police academy for children between 12 and 16 years old. The class serves as a way to get the children involved with law enforcement early. The group of 24 learned everything from de-escalation tactics to how to properly put on handcuffs. East Tennessee food pantries brace for potential SNAP cuts amidst rising food costs 'What we're doing right here is we are looking at these young men and women in our community, and it's a recruitment tool,' Detective Donnie Mashburn said. 'We are getting them prepped, getting them started, and an honest look at what we do every day, so we are excited about that, and hopefully, maybe they'll be some of our next police officers.' The Junior Cadets went through training exercises that simulated what police officers have to do often. Some of that included hand-to-hand combat, which in this case served as a lesson in self-defense, clearing rooms, and taking a written test that went over everything they learned this week. Mashburn was right in the middle of a lot of the training that went on. He said it was great seeing the children be able to have fun while learning. Remainder of Bonnaroo cancelled due to weather 'Just teaching them so many things. They love the defensive tactics, and that's near and dear to my heart,' Mashburn said. 'In talking to them, it's not about fighting, it's about taking care of yourself and defending yourself, but if you have to, you know how to defend yourself properly. That's been a special topic for me.' Mashburn said he put his body on the line for one of the taser learning sessions today, hoping the children, seeing what happened instill a respect for law enforcement and show them not to run from the law. 'That tazing does not feel good,' Mashburn explained. 'They saw that, so they know not to run from the law, do what we tell you, it was neat to see that.' Honoring Charlie: Knoxville community tees off to remember young golfer's selfless spirit The week-long academy ended with an obstacle course and awards for those involved. Mashburn told 6 News he's grateful they were able to put on an event like this and thankful for the help of Sevier County Cares and the Sevier County Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs for helping with the academy. We are told the police department hopes to put on more of these academies in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
News24
24-05-2025
- Politics
- News24
Trump 'on brand' with anti-woke rant at army officer graduation
Donald Trump's speech at the West Point Military Academy was marked by attacks on transgender inclusivity and army diversity policies. While some cadets and attendees felt Trump's rhetoric was 'on brand,' others described parts of the speech as inflammatory or divisive, leading some Black and Indigenous individuals to leave in protest. The ceremony combined regimented military traditions with Trump's freewheeling commentary, including a mix of enthusiasm, laughter, and discomfort among graduates, attendees, and international guests. Attendees at a graduation event for new US army officers on Saturday tried to brush off inflammatory remarks by Donald Trump, but said they were unsurprised by the president's rhetoric. Trump's speech at the West Point Military Academy veered between attacks on transgender people and army diversity, equity and inclusion policies to slamming his predecessors. An infantry major who declined to give their name said that Trump "sure had them on their toes" with his speech, but when asked about the political content said: "it was my first commander-in-chief's speech" - so had nothing with which to compare. Trump railed against past army efforts to promote integration and tolerance, claiming that after he dismantled such policies, troops were no longer forced to perform drag shows overseas. "(I) liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings," he said. Cadet George Montras, 23, said that he enjoyed parts of Trump's speech about "winning" - but did not take a view on the more overtly political content. "(Winning) really matters here, whether it is sport, academically, whatever," he said. On whether the speech was unusually political, Montras insisted that "it was pretty on brand" for Trump and he was unsurprised. 'Unravelled' The event was a jarring mix of precision regimented military ceremony against a backdrop of Trump's freewheeling remarks. Graduates threw their hats into the air and marched accompanied by a military band, while Trump wore a red "make America great again" cap and joked about incompetent senior officers. One non-military attendee said Trump's rambling speech "was good then it just kind of unravelled." General Stephane Richou, visiting with a delegation of other senior officers from France, described Trump's speech to the graduating class as "interesting." "I was fascinated by the ceremony," he told AFP describing the "link between the commander-in-chief and the army for these youngsters" as an advantage. A lieutenant colonel in the US army chaplain corps who declined to be named said that the day was about "the joy of serving." Trump attended the New York Military Academy private school but avoided the Vietnam war draft through a medical exemption. Declining to comment on the more controversial elements of the speech, the chaplain said "it was very encouraging" to hear Trump emphasise the importance of the military and that "it was a good time to become an officer." At one point, Trump baselessly alleged that former president Barack Obama had given hypersonic missile technology to Russia, which prompted a large jeer from the non-graduating cadets assembled to see their classmates graduate. 'Divisive policies' There was also enthusiastic applause and cheering in the crowd when Trump rehashed his objection to transgender people competing in women's sport. "We will not have men playing in women's sports if that's OK," he said after vowing to stamp out "divisive" inclusion policies in the military. A special forces lieutenant colonel in the stands laughed out loud when Trump suggested in an off-the-cuff remark that he wanted a West Point gold ring, reserved for alumni of the gruelling four-year course. Kahena Wilhite was supporting a friend who graduated despite racking up 286 hours of disciplinary punishment time. Describing Trump's words unfavorably, the 22-year-old said a number of Black and indigenous people left the stands in protest during the speech, which included praise for Levittown housing developments that formerly excluded non-white owners. On whether it was a safe time to become an officer under Trump, Tom McGill, 75, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana said he was relieved that his grandson was going into an army support role. "He's going into intelligence, I don't know if they see any action," he said, stressing that commentators have "got to give (Trump) a chance" on foreign policy. Cadets that did speak to AFP stressed that the day was meant to be apolitical, and that they were excited to support their classmates. "We're here to support each other," said a second-year cadet who gave his name as Torres and wore a pristine white uniform with a white peaked cap with gold trim.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Brags to West Point Grads He Can Do Whatever He Wants Now
Wearing a red MAGA hat, President Donald Trump said that his election victory means he can do whatever he wants in his commencement speech at West Point on Saturday. 'We had the greatest election victory,' Trump told cadets of the elite United States Military Academy. 'This was November 5. We won the popular vote by millions of votes. We won all seven swing states. We won everything.… We had a great mandate, and it gives us the right to do what we want to do to make our country great again, and that's what we're going to do.' Although the president loves insulting the military, this time he showered the graduates with praise. He also took credit for creating the military's strength. 'In a few moments, you'll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history,' Trump said. 'And you will become officers of the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. And I know, because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military. And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.' He told the cadets they are 'the first West Point graduates of the golden age of America. This is the golden age. I tell you, promise, we're in a new age.' Of course, this is not the first time that Trump has laid claim to unlimited power. Trump posted a similar declaration on social media in February. 'He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,' he wrote on Truth Social and X. This idea was validated by the Supreme Court last year, when the conservative justices ruled that a former president is entitled to sweeping immunity from criminal prosecutions. At the time, sources told Rolling Stone that a second Trump administration would use this decision as a shield against pesky laws and rules as they sought to implement their policy agenda. 'It's like Christmas,' a conservative attorney close to Trump told Rolling Stone. 'In every use of official power,' Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in her dissent, 'the president is now a king above the law.' Just months into Trump's second term, his administration has disregarded due process rights and orders from judges, including those on the Supreme Court, that it return Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia from his incarceration in El Salvador. In March, Trump sent hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to a notorious prison system in El Salvador without due process, in defiance of a Maryland judge's order. This week, a Massachusetts judge found that Trump officials violated his court order — which prohibits the administration from deporting immigrants to third-party countries without due process — as it moved to send a group of detainees to South Sudan, a dangerous and war-torn country. Over and over again, courts have ruled that the Trump administration's actions are unlawful. Speaking before the West Point cadets, Trump expressed hope that judges will stop standing in the way and allow him to continue his lawless deportations, framing them as necessary to stop a criminal 'invasion' at the border. 'It's not easy, but hopefully the courts will allow us to continue,' he said. Trump separately praised his record so far as president. 'Our country is doing well,' he told the cadets. 'We've turned it around, very quickly. We've turned it around.' 'I just got back from the Middle East, and I was at, as you know, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE. And I will tell you they said, all three leaders, great leaders of those three nations, they all said the same thing: The United States of America is hotter now than we've ever seen it, and a year ago, it was as cold as it gets. It's true. We have the hottest country in the world, and the whole world is talking about it, and that's an honor for all of us. I cannot wait to see the glory that is still ahead.' Trump also took aim at critical race theory and transgender people's participation in sports. Earlier this year, West point disbanded several clubs including the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, the Japanese Forum Club, the Latin Cultural Club, the National Society of Black Engineers Cub, the Native American Heritage Forum, and the Society of Women Engineers Club in response to the Trump administration's executive order to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, or DEI. 'We've liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings,' Trump said. 'There will be no more critical race theory or 'transgender for everybody' forced onto our brave men and women in uniform, or on anybody else for that matter, in this country. And we will not have men playing in women's sports.' He drew attention to West Point's football quarterback, Bryson Daily: 'I don't think a lot of women want to tackle him. I don't think so. How crazy is it — men playing in women's sports? How crazy is it? So ridiculous, so demeaning, so demeaning to women. And it's over. That's over. We've ended it.' More from Rolling Stone Trump Tries to Make Sure States Don't Fight Climate Change Either Rubio Says Blocking Deportations to South Sudan Will Harm Humanitarian Aid Trump Pumped and Dumped His Crypto Backers With Dud Dinner Party Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
