FAYETTEVILLE When the doctor tells you to shut it down, you listen.

That was my order last week, one day before opening day of the 2020 season. I was sick and the doctors orders were to stay home for at least four days.

For the first time since I began covering the team 12 seasons ago, I found myself away from Baum-Walker Stadium as the season began. It was an odd feeling.

Before getting sick I spent quite some time on a preseason observations piece. In it were some predictions that I felt were validated on opening weekend, but were never published.

Here were the predictions (written before the games, I promise):

Arkansas will hit at least 77 home runs during the regular season, including at least 20 by Heston Kjerstad. Whether the Razorbacks challenge the school record of 98 set two years ago will depend on how many games they play in the postseason, but this team has as much power as any in memory. Kjerstad appears primed for a big year at the plate, similar to when Andrew Benintendi and Chad Spanberger had 20-homer seasons in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

Anyone who saw Kjerstad bat in the preseason will tell you that his performance against EIU came as no surprise. He has been tearing it up at the plate for quite some time, dating to last summer with the USA Collegiate National Team. During preseason scrimmages he was a near-impossible out for the Razorbacks younger pitchers.

A consensus first-team All-American in the preseason, Kjerstad appears to be in line to contend for conference - and possibly national - player of the year honors, and big power numbers will always help the cause.

Kjerstad should lead the team in homers, but several Razorbacks have the capability to hit several this year. It would not surprise to see Casey Martin, Christian Franklin, Braydon Webb or Matt Goodheart finish with double-digit homers. Franklin, Webb and Goodheart all homered on opening weekend, and Arkansas has seven home runs through three games.

The Razorbacks will score at least 25 runs on opening weekend. This actually feels like a low projection given how Arkansas lineup batted against Razorback pitching in scrimmages during the preseason, but the first games can be a struggle, especially in cold weather. Its worth noting that against EIU last season, Arkansas scored 30 runs in three games, 27 of which came during an opening-day doubleheader.

Arkansas scored 27 runs against EIU. With 30 runners stranded in three games, the potential was there to put a lot more on the board, but its hard to scoff at an average of nine runs per game at this point in the season and in cold weather.

Two pitchers will record at least five saves as the Razorbacks take a by-committee approach to replace departed closer Matt Cronin. The most likely candidates to lead the team in saves are junior right hander Zebulon Vermillion and sophomore right hander Elijah Trest, although Dave Van Horn mentioned redshirt junior right hander Kevin Kopps as a potential closer. Vermillions status for opening weekend is iffy as he recovers from a lingering hamstring injury.

Probably in part due to the cold, Vermillion didnt pitch against EIU. Because of the lopsided scores, no pitcher had a chance at a save.

But the series did provide a look at some of the options at the back end. Kopps (Game 1) and Trest (Game 3) each pitched a scoreless ninth, while Peyton Pallette allowed a run on two hits in the final inning of the middle game of the series.

Trest looked the most impressive of the three with an eight-pitch outing to retire the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters in the EIU lineup. Trests outing reminded some of Cronin with seven fastballs registered at either 95 or 96 mph, and only one outside the strike zone.

Strikeouts will decrease from last season when the Razorbacks set a school record with 581, or an average of 8.8 per game. Look for Arkansas per-game walk total to slightly increase from 4.9 per game last season.

The Razorbacks struck out 20 times against EIU, with seven coming in the season opener against power right hander Will Klein. Arkansas walked 18 times in the series.

Dave Van Horn said he wants to see the strikeout total decrease this weekend against Gonzaga, and that he was a little more pleased in that regard in the second and third games of the EIU series. Eight of the strikeouts came in the season opener.

As a power-hitting team, Arkansas strikeout totals, even if lower, are going to be higher than some can stomach.

Arkansas will break the tickets-sold record for an opening weekend. Poor weather Friday threatens this projection, but temperatures Saturday and Sunday are conducive for big crowds. Plus, a sold-out basketball crowd Saturday is likely to spill over to the baseball stadium. The record at Baum-Walker Stadium for opening-weekend tickets sold is 29,354 for the series against Miami (Ohio) in 2017. Arkansas has sold at least 7,018 season ticket packages this year, meaning an average walk-up crowd of around 2,800 per game would be enough to break the record for an opening weekend.

I was off by just a little. The Razorbacks sold 29,118 for the EIU series, good for second best in school history. It was also good for second most nationally on opening weekend, behind LSUs home series against Indiana.

On Gonzaga

The Bulldogs were the preseason pick to win the West Coast Conference. They have won the conference tournament two of the past four seasons.

Gonzaga comes into the series with a 2-2 record following an opening-weekend event in Surprise, Ariz., where the Bulldogs split two games with Oregon State, defeated New Mexico with a ninth-inning rally and lost to BYU.

Sixteenth-year Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf has had some success against Arkansas, with a 4-2 record. In 2013, now-Seattle Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzales pitched a complete game in a 3-0 victory over the Razorbacks in Surprise, Ariz.

In 2015, Gonzaga swept two midweek games from an Arkansas team that wound up in the College World Series. The Bulldogs also won a game during a midweek series that was cut short in 2016. All three of those games were played in Fayetteville.

As an extended weekend series, the teams will approach this weeks games differently, throwing their best pitchers.

For Gonzaga, the best pitcher is junior right hander Alek Jacob, who is expected to start Game 3 opposite of Arkansas Patrick Wicklander. Jacob was on a pair of preseason All-America teams.

Against Oregon State last week, Jacob allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks, and struck out 6 in 4 innings.

Similar to Will Klein of EIU last week, Jacob is transitioning back into being a starter full-time. He made only four starts last season when he recorded 12 saves. He was a starter as a freshman.

Jacob will not wow with velocity, but is effective by pitching from a low angle that can make the ball difficult to see out of his hand. In his first start of the year his fastball registered in the mid 80s. He also throws a changeup and a breaking ball.

Keaton Knueppel, a redshirt junior left hander, is scheduled to start Thursday for the Zags. Knueppel has pitched in just six college games and is making his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Senior left hander Mac Lardner is scheduled to start Friday. Lardner was 6-4 with a 5.06 ERA a year ago. In his first start this year he struck out 9, allowed 1 hit and walked 2 in 6 innings against BYU.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, a senior right hander, is scheduled to throw Sunday. He was 4-3 with a 5.05 ERA last year, and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and struck out 6 batters in 4 innings against Oregon State last week.

Jack Machtolf, a redshirt junior outfielder who is the son of the head coach, was 4-for-11 and drew 4 walks on the first weekend. Senior outfielder Ryan Sullivan also had a solid weekend at the plate with a 5-for-12 performance that included a home run, a triple and a double.

First pitch for the first game of the series has been moved up by one hour to 2 p.m. Like last weeks season opener, the change was made because of cold temperatures in the forecast. The high Friday is 41 degrees, but the temperature will fall throughout the game as the sun sets behind the stadium, casting shadows across the park.

The final three game times remain unchanged for now, but dont be surprised to see a doubleheader scheduled for either Friday or Saturday because of a poor forecast Sunday that includes a 70 percent chance of rain.

Noland Dominant

Arkansas Game 1 pitching has been superb since 2017.

Fans remember the all-time great seasons recorded by Blaine Knight in 2018 and Isaiah Campbell last year, but it seems some forget how good Trevor Stephan was in 2017 when he went 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 91 innings while pitching primarily out of the No. 1 position.

Over the past three years, Arkansas record in SEC openers was 23-7 behind the pitching of Stephan, Knight and Campbell. That does not take into consideration nonconference or postseason play, when all three pitched well. All three were taken in the first three rounds of the MLB Draft.

Perhaps the biggest question mark coming into 2020 was whether the Razorbacks could develop another ace who could pitch comparable to those departed stars. Starters returned, but Connor Noland and Patrick Wicklander are sophomores, whereas Knight and Stephan were juniors and Campbell was a fourth-year junior during their banner years.

Being careful to draw too many conclusions from one performance against an overmatched opponent, it appears Noland might have the stuff to be a suitable replacement to Campbell.

Noland looked great in the season opener when he allowed 1 unearned run on 2 hits and 1 walk in 6 2/3 innings. The sophomore right hander struck out a career-high 11, the second double-digit strikeout performance of his career, but likely not the last.

Noland is only the sixth Arkansas pitcher to record 11 strikeouts in a single game in the past 10 seasons. The others? Stephan, Knight, Campbell, Kacey Murphy and Cody Scroggins.

After spending an offseason focused on baseball for the first time, Noland showed a three-pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, slider that had improved velocity and command. EIU coach Jason Anderson, a long-time minor league hitter, said Nolands slider was probably the best his team will see this season.

Noland faced the minimum through six innings and allowed a run only because of an error by shortstop Casey Martin. For an outing with so many strikeouts, his average of 4.3 pitches per out seemed especially efficient.

Noland seems real comfortable pitching at Baum-Walker Stadium, even dating to high school when as a senior he struck out 12 to lead Greenwood to a state championship. His best performances last year came at home against Mississippi State and Tennessee during back-to-back weeks in April.

Can he take that kind of performance on the road like his predecessors did before him? With Wicklander struggling some with command and a third starter undetermined, Arkansas needs Noland to anchor the weekend with a strong performance in Game 1.

To stay on a seven-day rest schedule, Noland will pitch the second game against Gonzaga this weekend, then is likely to pitch the first game the following weekend, against Oklahoma in Houston.

Shorter Porch

The construction of the new $27 million baseball performance center beyond the right field wall at Baum-Walker Stadium might have contributed to at least one home run on opening weekend.

Braydon Webbs leadoff homer in the first inning of the Razorbacks 10-1 victory on Saturday just cleared the fence in the right field corner. The ball appeared to be drifting foul, but a strong wind pushed it back into play just inside the foul pole.

The fence in the right field corner was moved in 8 feet this year because of the construction. The foul pole in right is now 312 feet from home plate.

Webbs home run might have been a double off the top of the wall a year ago when the fence sat at 320 feet. It will be interesting to see how many home runs sneak over that wall throughout the rest of the season.

At 312 feet, Arkansas has the second-shortest right-field porch in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State moved its right field fence to 305 feet as part of the renovation to Dudy Noble Field last year.

For years, Georgias Foley Field had the leagues shortest porch in right at 314 feet.

There is no word whether Arkansas will readjust the fence in right once construction is complete. Seven years ago the right-center field fence at the stadium was brought in 10 feet to 365.

Here is a look at the right-field dimensions at all of the SEC stadiums:

Alabama: Sewell-Thomas Stadium 320

Arkansas: Baum-Walker Stadium 312

Auburn: Plainsman Park 320

Florida: McKethan Stadium 321

Georgia: Foley Field 314

Kentucky: Kentucky Proud Park 320

LSU: Alex Box Stadium 330

Ole Miss: Swayze Field 330

Mississippi State: Dudy Noble Field 305

Missouri: Taylor Stadium 340

South Carolina: Founders Park 325

Tennessee: Lindsey Nelson Stadium 320

Texas A&M: Blue Bell Park 330

Vanderbilt: Hawkins Field 330

Odds and Ends

Arkansas has two players on the roster who have 6 RBI games in their career. Kjerstad achieved the feat before being taken out of the game early Sunday. Jacob Nesbit had a 6-RBI game last year against Tennessee.

Eight Razorbacks pitched at least one inning against EIU without allowing an earned run.

The middle infield will be fun to watch this season. Casey Martin at shortstop and Robert Moore at second base both are extremely quick and rangy. Martin misplayed a ground ball in the season opener but his defense in the preseason looked improved. Moore has a chance to be a special defender up the middle.

It doesnt appear Arkansas will run quite as much this season. The Razorbacks only attempted three stolen bases against EIU, compared to eight stolen-base attempts in the first series against EIU a year ago. Casey Martin and Christian Franklin were successful in their steal attempts, while Casey Opitz was caught.

Signage has been replaced across the ballpark to reflect the name change last year to Baum-Walker Stadium. The most notable change is atop the video board in right-center field, where the old Baum Stadium sign remained intact throughout the 2019 season. That sign now says Baum-Walker is a style consistent with the old one.

Former Razorback pitcher Kacey Murphy is coaching in the bullpen this season. Murphy was a starter on Arkansas national runner-up team in 2018. He replaces Doug Willey, who began working as a minor-league coach for the Chicago Cubs late last year.

The right field fence isnt the only thing that has been moved at the ballpark due to construction. The flag pole and a light pole were also repositioned. The flag pole is now positioned near the left-field entrance.

Thanks to freshman catcher Dominic Tamez, Arkansas has had a player named Dominic on its roster for 10 seasons in a row. The streak began with infielder Dominic Ficociellos freshman season in 2011, and continued with pitcher Dominic Taccolini from 2014-17 and outfielder Dominic Fletcher from 2017-19.

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This week in Arkansas baseball: Delayed predictions, previewing Gonzaga, short porch and more - WholeHogSports

A woman preparing to take off for a trip out of state was preparing for her departure and in her haste, she sat her purse down on her outside porch and went back inside.

The woman, who resides on Myron Street, told police she sat her purse down on the front porch and went back inside for about 20 minutes.

All of the womans banking information and identity documents were in the purse, along with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to a police report.

The woman told police she did not see anyone in the area.

Although the woman said the incident occurred at about 1 a.m. Jan. 27, she did not report it until Feb. 5.

The woman said the delay was due to her leaving town on a prepaid vacation.

She was advised to check local pawn stores for her purse.

The purse was light pink and briefcase-shaped.

Its value is about $500, according to the report.

Continued here:
Lincoln Park woman preparing to leave town sits purse on porch in haste and it's stolen in minutes - Southgate News Herald

On the shop side are two service and storage bays for equipment, and a mezzanine for smaller storage. On the house side, it contains a kitchen, dining room, entertainment space, a corner office with big windows and a wrap-around porch. (DTN/Progressive Farmer photo by Jim Patrico)

Dave Geise's friends tease him: That shiny new farm shop he recently built is not really a shop, they say, it's a "shouse." Or, maybe it's a "barndominium." Whatever they call the structure, Geise is proud of it. "It's a dream come true," he said of the 127 feet-by-60 feet Morton building that seamlessly marries the utility of a shop with the comforts of a house.

On the shop side, Geise's "shouse" contains two service and storage bays for equipment, and a mezzanine for smaller storage. On the house side, it contains a kitchen, dining room, entertainment space, a corner office with big windows and -- maybe most importantly -- a wrap-around porch that offers awe-inspiring views of Iowa's rolling Loess Hills.

All of this sits about 100 yards from the Geise's four-bedroom house outside of Logan, Iowa.

Why build a "shouse" when you have a house so close? The 52-year-old Geise needed to accommodate the eventual remodeling of an old farmhouse, his farming operation and a growing off-farm business. He and wife, Ginger, decided to put three ventures under one roof while they contemplate a new or remodeled house.

The Geises own two companies: Concrete Leveling Solutions and CLS Foundation Repair and Waterproofing, which together have 22 part-time and full-time employees. They rent some cropland to others, and Geise tends 25 to 30 cow-calf pairs and 40 acres of pasture. He also hays about 30 acres. In addition, with help from son Bo, he does conservation work including terracing, brush clearing and ditch cleaning. All of which means Geise has equipment -- both for the farm and for the concrete business -- that requires service, maintenance and storage.

MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING

Six years ago, when the couple moved to the farm, they acquired a 100-year-old house and a shop/storage building that was a mess. They wanted to replace both with something more modern and organized.

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America's Best Shops - 4 Iowa Farm "Shouse" - DTN The Progressive Farmer

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FILE PHOTO: A Salinas police officer speaks with a man at the corner of E. Laurel Drive and Granada Avenue near a deadly shooting Feb. 22, 2019.(Photo: Joe Szydlowski)

Almost one year after a Salinas man was gunned down on his front porch, the teenager accused of killing him has been ordered to stand trial.

Mextli Margarito Velarde, 18, of Soledad, allegedly shot and killed Abdelwahed Rahali, 37, Feb. 22, 2019, the first homicide of that year.

On Thursday, Monterey County Superior Court Judge Mark Hood ordered him to stand trial on one count of murder and one count of shooting at a home with a special allegation for using a firearm.

At that preliminary hearing, in which a judge decides whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to bring a defendant to trial, Salinas police testified as to how they used surveillance video and bullet analysis to determine Velarde, then 17, was the gunman.

Mextli Velarde(Photo: PROVIDED/MONTEREY COUNTY JAIL)

Salinas Police Officer Nicolas Reyes, a member of the department's Violence Suppression Task Force, described finding Rahali with a gunshot wound to his cheek at a home in the 1200 block of Granada Avenue.

"I was being flagged down frantically as I turned the corner," he testified.

He reviewed surveillance footage from the home, which showed a man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and dark shoes with white soles approach Rahali along a "pony wall."

Rahali was on his porch in front of the home both individuals paused before the suspect pulled out ahandgun and fired, Reyes said. He saw two muzzle flashes on camera, though he noticed additionalbullet marks on the door frame.

One of the bullets shot at Rahali hit and shattered the window at the top of his front door.(Photo: Staff photo / Kate Cimini)

Salinas Police Officer Luis Trobio testified he'd responded to a Shot Spotter alert that five shots had been fired.

Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Stefanie Zamora declined to say how many shots had been fired or how many hit Rahali, though she acknowledged he died from "multiple" gun shot wounds.

The suspect, who also had a backpack with reflective markings, then ran northon Granada, Reyes said.

Zamora noted that backpack would turn out to be "a huge indicator" of Velarde's role in the shooting.

About eight minutes after Reyes responded,a Salinas police community service officer flagged down officer Luis Trobio near Tampico Avenue, about a half mile from the shooting, Trobio testified.

"He pulled up next to me, pointed toward Tampico, said hed observed a subject walking in the area, as he pointed in that direction, I looked and saw a male walking," he said.

He approached and shined a spotlight on Velarde, eventually ordering him to stop. Velarde complied, Trobio said.

Velarde was wearing a gray t-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes with white soles and carrying a black backpack.

When dispatchers broadcast an updated shooter description, Trobio said he detained Velarde and took him to the police department.

They searched the backpack and found a 9mm Luger handgun with no serial numberand latex gloves. They also foundthree 9mmrounds in his jeans' coin pocket, Trobio said.

RAW VIDEO Salinas police and fire respond to shooting on Granada Ave. Salinas Californian

Police sent the handgun and casings found at the Granada hometo the Crime Gun Intelligence program, run through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Mark Babione, a retired Salinas police officer and coordinator of that program.

He ran it through a series of tests designed to match bullets to guns by "stamps."

Those are seven unique, "microscopic" marks left onthe bullet's casing by the gun's parts, such as the firing pin or muzzle, he said.

"The breech is a very hard metal, the canister is soft metal.When (it's fired), that stamp takes place," Babione said.

Those stamps come fromslight differences that inadvertently occur duringthe gun's manufacturing processon an assembly line.

Salinas police and fire crews were called out to the 1200 block of Granada Avenue at about 7:50 p.m. after receiving reports of a shooting with a possible victim.(Photo: Joe Szydlowski/Staff Photo)

"Its different, different between the one before it and after it," he said.

After using a database to winnow the possible weapons, he normally will run those comparisons against 210 to 300 possible matches, he said

He said he found a "high-confidence candidate link," or a likely match, between the Luger and the casings.

However, under questioning from O'Keefe, he said it is "difficult" to describe what amounts to sufficient evidence to establish that link.

He also acknowledged that establishinglink is done by a visual inspection, a subjective process, and more modern weapons have been more difficult to match.

The9mm handgun tested was 80-percent polymer, he said.

However, Babione also said the process includes an examination by a colleague, and he also requests the police have another firearms technician review his findings to verify them.

"If you're looking for objectivity, I think peer review would be one of the paramount (ways)," he said.

Nonetheless, a "high-confidence candidate" is not the same as a match, Babione said.

Judge Hood noted the reflective markings on the backpack in photos in his ruling that Velarde should stand trial.

Though he was wearing different clothing when officer Trobio stopped him, prosecutor Zamora said there is additional surveillance footageof Velarde's actions after the shooting that was not presented during the hearing.

She said a motive has not been established, but she doesn't know of any connection between Velarde and Rahali before the shooting.

Salinas Assistant Police Chief Roberto Filice makes a statement on the homicide on Granada Avenue. Salinas Californian

Velarde was 17 when he was arrested on suspicion of Rahali's murder, but in late summera judge decided to transfer his case to adult court.

If convicted, Velarde could face 50-years-to-life in prison, she said.

He is next scheduled to appear in court March 5.

Velarde's defense attorney, Thomas O'Keefe, declined to comment after the hearing.

Velarde's loved ones declined to comment after the hearing, which they attended.Rahali's loved ones did notrespond to a request for comment.

More: UPDATE: One dead in Granada Avenue shooting, suspect arrested

Joe Szydlowski is a multimedia journalist for the Salinas Californian who covers local government, crime and cannabis. Follow him on Twitter attwitter.com/JoeSzyd_Salinas. He can be reached at 235-2360. Help support The Californian's work:https://bit.ly/2Qo298J

Read or Share this story: https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2020/02/21/salinas-teen-trial-deadly-shooting-first-homicide-2019-california-violence-murder-central-coast/4825766002/

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Salinas teen to stand trial in deadly shooting, first homicide of 2019 - The Californian

A 32-year-old Lehigh County woman allegedly stole packages twice this week after they had been delivered to properties in Allentown.

Charlesetta J. Fritz, of the 1000 block of East Susquehanna Street in Salisbury Township, was arrested Thursday in the theft of a package from a porch in Allentown's 2300 block of East Woodlawn Street, city police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. said in a news release Friday.

"Unfortunately a number of packages have been reported in Allentown over the past several months," Granitz wrote in the release.

Fritz was charged in the theft, which occurred Monday, following an investigation by Allentown police with cooperation from members of the Allentown community and Salisbury Township police, Granitz said.

Fritz is also accused in the theft of a package Wednesday in the 2300 block of East Fairmont Street in the city.

She was arraigned in the Monday incident on two counts each of theft and receiving stolen property, and in Wednesday's incident on charges of theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property.

Fritz was released on combined, unsecured bail of $15,000 and will face a preliminary hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the cases toward trial in Lehigh County Court.

Fritz could not be reached for comment; a call to a possible phone number listed for her went unanswered. Court records do not list an attorney.

Allentown police asked residents who have experienced similar thefts or who may have information that may be of use to call Detective Josh Baker at 610-437-7721.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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Porch package thief nabbed, thanks to community and police cooperation, chief says - lehighvalleylive.com

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CAUGHT IN THE ACT: MPD catches up with suspected porch pirate - FOX10 News

As authorities try to determine what caused Kobe Bryants helicopter to crash, killing him and eight other people Sunday, a new front-porch video seems to provide audio of the fateful flights final moments.

The chopper was taking Bryant and his group from Orange County to his basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks. The retired NBA player was scheduled to coach his daughter Giannas team in a game.

Authorities said it could take months to determine the cause of the crash and have urged witnesses to come forward.

One video seems to capture audio of the crash from a Calabasas residents front-door camera. The recording captures the sound of a helicopter flying nearby and then sounds like a crash.

We heard a sputter coming through and then a boom, the resident told KABC-TV, adding that she gave the tape to investigators.

The audio confirms what witnesses to the crash have said. A Times reporter on the scene when the crash occurred reported hearing a massive boom followed by a few seconds of silence. Then a fireball erupted on a hillside off Las Virgenes Road.

Jerry Kocharian, 62, was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter flying unusually low and seeming to struggle.

It wasnt sounding right, and it was real low, Kocharian told The Times on Sunday. I saw it falling and spluttering. But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.

The helicopter vanished into the sheet of fog, then there was a boom and a big fireball, he said.

Scott Daehlin, 61, was taking a break from setting up sound for a service at Church of the Canyon, which is below the crash site, when he heard the helicopter overheard.

Because of its proximity to the ground, I knew something was wrong. It was hovering real low, like they were searching to land. It was making a slow left turn. It was about 9:44 a.m., and then the impact happened. I heard a crunch.

NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy said at Tuesdays news conference that the helicopter was at 2,300 feet when it lost communication with air traffic controllers. The helicopter was descending at more than 2,000 feet per minute at the time of impact.

So we know that this was a high-energy impact crash, and the helicopter was in a descending left bank, Homendy said.

The chopper hit the hillside at an elevation of 1,085 feet, about 20 to 30 feet above an outcropping of the hill. But even if the pilot had been able to fly above that outcropping, he would have faced new hazards ahead.

There are actually other higher hills surrounding it, said Bill English, a lead investigator.

On Tuesday, the NTSB released the first images of the crash site in the form of a short video.

The video shows the charred wreckage of the helicopter, which broke apart on impact. Much of what remained of the chopper was burned beyond recognition. But a wheel and parts of the fuselage appear not to have been burned.

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Audio of crash that killed Kobe Bryant may be on porch camera - Los Angeles Times

Katie Hodges Design

When it comes to setting the mood in any space, lighting is of utmost importance. Sunshine and moonlight might be the best sources for light in outdoor areas, but it definitely helps to have some backup. With this in mind, we're spotlighting 16 lighting ideas and tips so you can see clearly in your outdoor oasis no what time of day or year it is. Keep reading to learn about the best ways to create comfortable, stylish, safe, and well-lit backyards, porches, balconies, and beyond.

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1Recessed Lights

If you want barely-there overhead lighting on a porch or in the backyard, opt for recessed can lights built right into the ceiling. In this space designed by Emily Henderson, the white recessed lightning blends right in so you notice the light they shine...without actually seeing them.

2Downlights

Outdoor lighting provides safety value, too, especially on stairs. Choose built-in downlights that will brighten up the path but also complement the style of the facade. Corinne Mathern opted for brass to accent this adobe home in Santa Barbara and placed them every few steps so it doesn't make the partition wall cluttered. Alternatively, you could place them on the face of the stairs so you only see them while walking up.

3Pendant Lights

This balcony in a home designed by Commune Design feels like an organic extension of the interiors. A bold, metallic pendant light is a great way to jazz up your exteriors. But this isn't your living room. So to put it in the right context, use nature-inspired materials burled wood or rattan and add a botanical-print throw.

4Hurricane Candles

Alfresco dining is great, but cooking outside is even better. In a Key West house, the outdoor kitchen cabinets are made from old cypress shutters and the tropical florals bring a bright pop of playful colors. And the hurricane candles scattered around the area provide plenty of soft lighting.

5Floodlights

Because the slat roof means you can't install recessed lighting, Heather Hilliard opted for minimalist floodlights that secure to the frame of the structure and fill the entire dining area with light. Though a little more noticeable, the black minimalist design blends in well with the space. These are also a great option safety-wise for front doors and driveways, especially if you set them up with sensors to automatically light up when motion is detected.

6Tree Pendants

Show your trees some love and dress up the backyard by hanging lanterns in the branches, as Alexander Design did here. This will set the mood for a truly magical outdoor living space. It's mostly aesthetic and shouldn't be your only light source, but it definitely adds some style.

7String Lights

Designer Jill Sharp Weeks used string lights to make her garden feel like an extension of her home. The space even includes an outdoor privy, the only bathroom on the ground floor.

8Floor Lamps

To make a backyard sitting area feel like an outdoor living room, opt for traditional indoor lighting, like a floor lamp but in a more resilient and nature-inspired materialjust make sure your outdoor area is electrically equipped for one. Contractor Tim Givens built the swinging daybed on the back porch of Liza Pulitzer Calhoun's Palm Beach house, and she simply covered its seat with a favorite tablecloth.

9Pool Lights

This minimalist and modern backyard is area is full of lighting ideas. Pool lights are a game-changer for night swims, and if you look in the far left, you'll notice the garage skylight that gives you peek at the cars below and allows for shared light.

10Chandeliers

Now this is how you make an entrance. In this Spanish-style Beverly Hills home designed by Commune Design, the front porch is inviting, comfortable, elaborate, and ornate all at once. The warm terracotta tiles, exposed beams, and wood stool ground the intricate wrought iron lighting and fuchsia pops of color.

11Underglow

It doesn't get any chicer than this backyard designed by Night Palm Studio. The mood is undeniably sultry, from the curved shape and soft swirls of the marble and white to the wave-like daybed while edgy concrete foundations, and underglow LED lighting built into the bench.

12Garden Lights

See that little spotlight nestled into the rock landscaping behind the bench? Shaped like spotlights or little torches, garden lights ares perfect for anyone who wants to shine a light on their gardening skills even after the sun goes down.

13Sconces

If your backyard sitting area doesn't have a ceiling or overhead structure, make sure there's a bright sconce attached to your home. Interior designer Jenn Feldman opted for a large, lantern-style sconce here.

14Ceiling Fam Lights

This front porch designed by Amanda Lindroth is a tropical dream. It inspires us to pick our favorite color when and run with it. Also, installing a ceiling fan (or several, depending on size) will keep the air circulating on those balmy nightschoose one that doubles as a light for bonus points.

15Candle Lanterns

Thin trees shade a 1960s home's walled retreat. Elizabeth Kennedy and Ray Booth brought the interior's sleek style outdoors by adding all-weather chairs and row of lanterns.

16Garden Lights

This back porch by Regan Baker Design is the perfect private spot to unwind in. To make it conducive to entertaining, bring in addition floor seating with large outdoor floor cushions and keep it bright with bollard lights, which are shapes like posts crowned with a light so it shines the surrounding area in every direction.

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Original post:
15 Stylish Outdoor Lighting Ideas - The Best Backyard Light Options - HouseBeautiful.com

For one of my most recent orders from Amazon, the delivery driver dropped off the package on my doorstep like normal but then Amazon followed up by sending an email, which included a photo taken of the package sitting right there in front of my door once it had been dropped off. The photo was obviously taken by the driver and, if you ask me, seems to be sort of a poor mans response to all the porch piracy thats on the rise. As if Amazon is basically saying, okay, there you go. If its not there when you get home, sorry pal it wasnt us.

People swiping unattended packages from porches and doorsteps is certainly not a new phenomenon and something thats probably to be expected with the explosion in e-commerce. Its starting to lead to some pretty wild solutions to deter those porch pirates, however, such as this one we told you about involving a glitter bomb booby-trap. And on the less dramatic front, Yale Home has introduced a new smart delivery box thats meant for your front doorstep that can be weighted down, locked and represents a pretty simple way to keep your packages safe until you can get there to retrieve them.

The box, according to the company, allows customers to receive packages and perishables deliveries (e.g. food, wine, cosmetics, medicine) securely and conveniently and is meant to address the reality that almost 40% of American households say theyve experienced some kind of porch pirate-related package theft.

The company says the box will launch this spring and will be available at ShopYaleHome.com and major retailers. The box will cost $229 by itself, or $278 with an accompanying Wi-Fi Bridge that makes remote management of the box possible.

Image Source: Yale Home

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This smart delivery box to ward off porch pirates is a nice idea in theory - BGR

(CNN) The thief who stole a box containing a wedding album off a Wisconsin womans porch had a change of heart.

For two months, the woman waited for the books full of professional photographs from her Dominican Republic wedding. But after a delivery man dropped them off, a porch pirate snatched them.

The theft was caught on the homes surveillance camera.

He walks up with a box, he knocks. No one answers, and he just leaves with my photo albums, which has no value to him. Its no one we know, said Aymee Blancovitch.

Blancovitchs husband posted the mans photo to social media in hopes someone would recognize him. But the man returned the books.

I dont know why or who or what. You know, there was no reason, Blancovitch said. But if hed drop them off, God bless you. Thank you so much.

Blancovitch said the man threw the books back on the porch and then ran to a car waiting for him around the corner.

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Porch pirate steals couples wedding photos then returns them - WFLA