Female Athlete Makes History; Signs Record-Breaking Deal to Play Women’s Football
Having navigated the ranks of track, rugby and flag football in the past; exceptional athlete & prominent influencer Santia Deck recently announced her latest win – a multi-million dollar contract with the Women’s Football League Association (WFLA).
There has never been a deal like this for a woman on the football field. Fittingly, there has never been a self-made athletic brand like Santia’s. Affectionately referred to online as the “Queen of Abs”, Santia, who is from Atlanta, has made a name for herself in the fitness and social spaces. Now she is cashing in on that name, as well as a great deal of talent and drive.The WFLA considers itself to be an organization out to make her story.
The WFLA held a draft in Vegas and is offering the first ever multi-million dollar contracts to football’s women athletes. Santia, is one of those few deemed worth a large sum. In fact, at an undisclosed amount, the league confirms that her contract is the highest-paid to date.
Leveraging more than just a traditional endorsement, Santia was brought on as a part-owner of that company in recognition of her skill level, her influence and her desire to help enhance the sport she loves. This example highlights the command of respect and money that her homegrown brand has come to require.
Now, with her spot in the WFLA, Santia can continue to push boundaries and command respect for herself and other women athletes – even in traditionally male-dominated sports like football.
From her career as an impressive collegiate track athlete, to launching her own brand as a celebrity fitness trainer, from the published book she wrote bringing awareness to child abuse, to fitness DVDs, Santia has continued to evolve and inspire. Her most recent endeavors include social media consulting, empowerment-centered public speaking and tackling relationship issues.
The WFLA debut season is set for 2021, with an Exhibition tour beginning in May of 2020. Santia, her supportive family and team, and her die-hard fans will be more than ready.
For more details about Santia Deck, follow her on Instagram @trackbaby001 or learn more about the league at https://wflafootball.com
Photo Credit: blackbusiness.com
Meth-Addled Carjacker Kidnaps Man and Goat From Missouri Porn Store
In what is surely an early contender for “most Mad-Libs-ian crime of the 2020s,” a meth-addled Oklahoma carjacker is in custody after abducting a man and his pet goat from outside of a porn store in Missouri this week.
(In other words: We’re only two days into 2020 and already it’s become clear that the surrealist through-the-looking-glass bullshit that permeated the tail end of the 2010s will be following us into the new decade. Great.)
The Kansas City Star reports that the incident happened in the early hours of New Year’s Day, when two men and a goat traveling by pickup parked outside of an adult video store in Carthage, Missouri, about four hours southwest of St. Louis.
One of the men went inside the store, while the goat and its owner slept in the truck. When that man awoke, according to KOTV in Tulsa, he found that a carjacker had stolen the vehicle and was pointing a gun at his head.
Brandon Kirby, 40, then allegedly drove the truck through three states — Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma — while doing meth and pistol-whipping his frightened passenger. According to police, Kirby eventually let the man and the goat out of the truck in Creek County, Oklahoma, where the man promptly called 911.
Police were able to contact the truck’s OnStar service to track the vehicle and slow it down to about 15 miles per hour, KOTV reports, and they subsequently used stop sticks to puncture the truck’s tires in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. After a trooper rammed the vehicle into a ditch, Kirby reportedly fled the truck on foot.
Police say he dropped a mask and a gun while he was running, which they recovered. Kirby was found hiding in some tall grass near a drainage ditch after a brief pursuit on foot.
Kirby was charged with kidnapping, pointing firearms and felony possession of a firearm, according to The Kansas City Star.KOTV reports that Kirby had recently been released from prison, and was wanted in Osage County for second-degree burglary.
“OK 2020, it only took you 4.5 hours to get weird,” the Sand Springs Police Department said on Facebook. “Let’s slow down on the carjacking-goatnapping calls for the remainder of the year.”
No word on the status of that poor goat.
Photo Credit: CREEK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Illinois cannabis sales bring in $3.2 million on day one
Illinois’ first day of legal recreational cannabis translated to a good chunk of green — nearly $3.2 million in sales.
The state’s 37 dispensaries churned through 77,128 transactions to tally more than $3.17 million in first-day sales, said Toi Hutchinson, Governor JB Prtizker’s senior adviser for cannabis control, in a news conference on Thursday.
“The amazing thing about that is that there’s a significant portion of these dollars that go directly into this community reinvestment fund, so we can continue to rebuild communities that have been hardest hit by the war on drugs,” Hutchinson said. “So sales are great but let’s never lose sight on the impact that we’re having on families around this state.”
Last year, Illinois made history when it became the first state to legalize adult-use cannabis via a legislative measure. Its regulations also have been heralded for addressing social justice and social equity concerns. Earlier this week, Prtizker expunged 11,017 records for misdemeanor cannabis convictions.
On Wednesday, people came out in droves for Illinois’ first day of legal weed sales, with hundreds lining up outside dispensaries in the bitterly cold early morning. States such as Colorado and California also saw similar scenes on their first days of legal recreational cannabis sales in 2014 and 2018, respectively.
“This is one of those moments where we recognize that the significance of yesterday was that it was the end of prohibition and the beginning of how we hope to grow a new industry here in Illinois and then teach other states how to do it,” Hutchinson said.
Illinois is the 11th US state to legalize the sale of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes.
Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP
Man beaten by father after being caught exposing himself to young children
(Meredith) – A 60-year-old man was beaten by the father of two children after police say the father caught him exposing himself to his kids.
Mark Stanley was staying with the family when he allegedly got naked from the waist down in front of two young children in a bedroom, according to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page.
After being caught by the father, Stanley pushed the father out of the bedroom and locked the door. However, the father forced his way in and began beating him, according to investigators.
Officers said the father was seen holding a handgun when they arrived at the scene but immediately dropped it after they told him to.
Stanley is facing indecent liberties and domestic assault charges with no bond. The children were taken to a hospital for treatment and evaluation.
The father is not facing any charges.
Photo Credit: Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office
Kardashians selling hand-me-down clothes from their children
Fans of the Kardashians with kids are in luck.
The famous family has decided to sell off hand-me-downs from their own children on their personal resale website, Kardashian Kloset.
The business venture — which launched in September with clothing straight from Kris and Kylie Jenner’s wardrobes, with items from Khloé, Kourtney, Kim and Kendall added later on — has now expanded to including a “collections” series with women’s clothing as well as men’s and kids.
Some of the now-sold items in the kids section include Moschino dresses ($45 each), while an $85 Monnalisa floral dress worn by Dream Kardashian is still available for purchase.
It’s unclear who donated the menswear, though all items are offered in an XXL, seemingly indicating that they are from a singular closet. Offerings include $500 Givenchy sweatpants, a Louis Vuitton sweatshirt ($600), a Gucci track jacket ($1,100) and more items that seem to reflect the style of Kris Jenner’s boyfriend Corey Gamble.
A representative did not respond to Page Six Style’s inquiry about how the “collections” differ from the individual closets, but there are plenty of designer clothes still available for fans to purchase directly from the famous family.
Style-oriented kids can only hope North West shares some of her closet castoffs soon.
Photo Credit: GC Images
Louisiana teen allegedly ripped testicles of man who had ‘bad day at work’
A Louisiana teen is accused of ripping the testicles of another man who became combative following a “bad day at work,” officials said.
Corey Jones, 18, fought with the man on New Year’s Eve after he returned to the Baton Rouge home after “a bad day at work,” news station WAFB reported.
After starting a verbal altercation with Jones, the duo became engaged in a struggle during which the 18-year-old tore the man’s scrotum open, according to the news station.
Jones was charged with domestic abuse battery with serious bodily injury, and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, according to authorities.
The other man will likely require stitches, which may leave a permanent scar, WAFB reported.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/01/02/louisiana-teen-allegedly-ripped-testicles-of-man-who-had-bad-day-at-work/
Photo Credit: EBRSO
Georgia Uber Driver Gets Degree After Random Passenger Wipes Out Her College Debt
An Uber driver says she is one step closer to achieving her dream of becoming a lawyer thanks to a random passenger who paid off her college debt when he heard her life’s story.
Latonya Young, a hair stylist by day and an Uber driver by night, told CNN affiliate WSB that she picked up a passenger outside of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the two got to talking.
The 43-year-old single mother told the passenger that when she was 16, she had to drop out of high school to raise her first child. And more recently, she had to drop out of college because of a $700 balance that she couldn’t afford to pay off.
“Every time I got ready to pay the money, my kids needed something,” Young said, recounting the story to WSB. “I said, ‘OK, I’ll just wait.’”
That was that, until few days later when Young got a call from Georgia State University, she said, stating that she was eligible to register for classes.
The passenger, since identified by WSB as Kevin Esch, had paid the balance. That allowed her to register for classes, ultimately earning an associate degree in criminal justice.
“Literally I was blown away,” Young said. “A stranger has never done that — or done anything like that — for me.”
With the balance paid, Young said she had to finish out her schooling for him. “I maintained my grades, As and Bs, just trying to make sure he knows I appreciate him,” she said.
The two kept in touch, and Esch attended her graduation in December. He told WSB that Young is an inspiration and that he’s blessed to have had the opportunity to help her.
Andrea Anne Jones, a spokesperson at Georgia State University, told CNN in a statement, “Kevin Esch has been justifiably applauded and heralded for providing the funds to enable Georgia State student Latonya Young to earn a college degree, but his gift is so much bigger than that. With it he has changed a life and opened a door to a brighter future for a student who, like so many others we see at Georgia State, simply needs a chance to achieve and succeed.”
With her associate degree behind her, she’s not stopping anytime soon. Young will be back in class this month to pursue her bachelor’s degree with hopes of becoming a lawyer.
CNN reached out to Young for further comment.
Photo Credit: ktla.com
North Carolina Family Finds Burned Snake in Oven While Making Frozen Pizza
A family in North Carolina thought they were just making themselves some dinner, but there was something else in the oven with the frozen pizza.
Amber Helm’s husband Robert went to preheat their oven Monday night for what she said she thought would be an easy dinner. Once it had heated, Robert popped a frozen pizza in.
The Helms noticed smoke in the kitchen of their Wake Forest home before realizing there was a snake in the oven, according to CNN affiliate WRAL.
“The oven started smoking and I told my boys ‘back up’ so I can make sure a fire or anything didn’t happen,” Amber Helm told WRAL. “I looked closely and was like ‘Oh my God! That’s a friggin’ snake.’”
The family doesn’t store anything in the oven when it’s not being used so they never thought to check inside before preheating, according to Helm.
“The oven was dark and the snake was likely dead by then from the preheat,” she told CNN. The last time the family used their gas oven was on Christmas Day to cook a ham.
“It got in via the holes at the bottom that allow for airflow,” Amber Helm said. “We aren’t certain yet how it got into the house but assume through our crawl space.”
The Helms have two small children. Their 3-year-old shared their shock while the 1-year-old was left unsure of what had happened.
“I immediately got them out of the house and took them to Applebee’s while my husband stayed home and got rid of the snake and a started to air out the house and clean the oven,” Helm said.
The Helms just moved into their home last January and said the neighbors across the street own a horse farm and told them they never had any issues like this before.
“I was queasy and it was creepy,” Robert Helm told WRAL. “There’s nothing good about finding a smokey snake in your oven.”
A local company is coming by the Helm home next week to make sure their future is snake free.
Photo Credit: ktla.com
James Charles Is Getting Backlash on Twitter for Allegedly Saying the N-Word on Instagram
While James was getting his party on during a New Year’s Eve event, Saweetie’s song “My Type” came on in the club, and understandably, everyone was beside themselves and released their inner bad bitch. But while James was beside himself, it appeared that he sang the chorus’s N-word…and caught it all on tape because he was filming #content for his Instagram Story.
FWIW, a fan confronted James on Twitter directly and asked him, “My guy did u say the N-word on ur insta story,” with the utmost simplicity. James replied and denied saying the N-word on camera. “No? turn up the volume & listen, I skip over it. How stupid would I have to be to confidently record a video of me singing the N-word and still have it up the next morning,” he wrote.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/james-charles-receiving-backlash-twitter-155500428.html
Photo Credit: Dia Dipasupil
Black hotel guest had to make ‘no party’ promise, unlike white customers
A black woman was required to sign a document promising she wouldn’t get rowdy inside an Oregon hotel – a pledge other white guests weren’t required to make, a new lawsuit claims.
Felicia Gonzales, 51, alleges that a front desk clerk at the Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center told her that all guests were mandated to sign a two-page “no party policy” prior to checking in, The Oregonian reports.
The policy was enacted to inform guests of noise limits at the hotel, but wasn’t intended to “insinuate any distrust in the ‘average’ guest,” according to the policy, which was provided by Gonzales’ attorneys.
But after checking in, Gonzales, who is a Marriott rewards member, watched white guests complete the registration process without signing the pledge, the lawsuit claims.
“Having to sign a ‘NO PARTY’ policy form did not feel right to Ms. Gonzales, so she went back to the front desk,” the filing reads. “Ms. Gonzales observed as multiple Caucasian guests checked in. None of them were asked to sign a ‘NO PARTY’ policy.”
Gonzales, of California, said she never had any prior issues with the hotel chain. She signed the policy “so she could get into her room” ahead of a five-night stay in January 2019 while visiting relatives in Portland, according to the lawsuit, which seeks $300,000 in damages.
A Marriott spokesperson, meanwhile, told The Post that the company does not comment on pending litigation, but noted that the hotel where Gonzales stayed is a franchise operated by a third-party management firm.
Gonzales’ lawsuit, which cites her “feelings of racial stigmatization” during the incident, may later be amended to add $1 million in punitive damages, The Oregonian reports.
Photo Credit: Google Maps