Monday, March 27, 2023

Monday, March 27, 2023

Hispanic representation: Mr./Miss Hispanic Pageant

criminal justice reform.

New platforms, new reigns, new crowns.

On Saturday, Wilson Lazo-Salmeron, a graduate student majoring in counseling psychology, and Michelle Salazar, an international business and marketing major, were crowned OSU’s 2023 Hispanic Latinx royalty. The pageant showcases the diversity and culture of OSU’s students. This year there were four contestants: three women and one man.

“Of course it’s nice to win, but I would’ve loved to see more male contestants,” Lazo-Salmeron said. “For one, that representation of we’re here, we’re wanting to see differences.”

One integral aspect of the pageant competition is the platform portion; contestants run on and present a speech for a platform that, should they win, they will enact throughout their reign.

Salazar’s platform is focused on a topic she holds close to her heart:

“My brother has been incarcerated for over a decade,” Salazar said. “I think being a person of color and interacting with the police, a lot of people don’t realize how much criminal justice affects everyone.”

Salazar wants to introduce the topic of her platform on campus and host workshops. She said factors such as literacy, finances and language barriers impact people when it comes to their knowledge of government.

Lazo-Salmeron’s platform is also focused on a topic he has personal connections to: mental health.

“Unfortunately there’s a lack of representation of mental health issues in the Latinx community,” Lazo-Salmeron said. “It’s sometimes covered up or there’s just barriers in generals.”

Latinos may struggle with finding the appropriate therapist who will be non-judgmental, non-discriminatory and non-biased, Lazo-Salmeron said.

Lazo-Salmeron works at the Counseling and Counseling Psychology clinic and said while he is already in a position to provide counseling, it needs to go beyond counseling an

individual client. He plans to advocate for accessibility and availability by organizing workshops for the community and recruiting Latinx individuals for research studies.

“In research the common population are usually white individuals, so it doesn’t really capture all of our experiences, especially with mental health,” Lazo-Salmeron said. “Being able to recruit Latinx individuals in those studies can definitely help explain our experiences more accurately.”

Contestants competed in several categories, both off and on-stage. For their talents, Lazo-Salmeron performed an original poem about his former eating disorder and Salazar performed a jump roping and dance routine.

“I knew a poem was going to be fitting for who I am as a person,” Lazo-Salmeron said. “This pageant reminded me of who I am as a person and what I’ve struggled with in the past, so it felt natural to talk about my eating disorder from when I was younger.”

For the cultural wear portion, they each wore clothing representa-

tive of their countries: Salazar’s being Mexico and Lazo-Salmeron’s being El Salvador.

Lazo-Salmeron wore a shirt with tecomates, pants with symbols of maize, a sombrero, a waistband that said “El Salvador” and a bag used to store food. Tecomates are bowls used for storing water. He also carried the Salvadoran flag with him during his cultural wear walk.

Salazar dressed as an Aztec warrior.

“I felt so empowered,” Salazar said. “I felt so connected to my family, to my roots, to my ancestors.”

Salazar won the People’s Choice, evening wear, cultural wear, entrepreneurship and interview awards. Wilson won the academic excellence and talent awards.

“It is important for Latinos to make themselves be present, to have their voices heard,” Salazar said.“We are such a small part of this community here at OSU, and it’s important that we represent ourselves, our culture and what we stand for.”

Carson Benge had a big act to follow.

Freshman

slugger Nolan Schubart took the first pitch of the second inning into the stands in right field and gave the Cowboys the lead. His seventh of the season. Next up, Benge.

Baylor pitcher Mason Marriott tried to collect himself from the Schubart homer, but he gave Benge something he liked. Benge, a redshirt

freshman right fielder, sent his first pitch – the second pitch of the inning – sailing over the leftfield wall.

Two pitches, two home runs. “(Marriott) tried to flip the slider in there, just like for a strike, and I saw it really good,” Benge said.

“So, I just decided to swing first pitch and we went backto-back.”

Benge’s home run helped spark a second-inning run in OSU’s 15-8 win against Baylor on Saturday night at O’Brate Stadium. But it didn’t stop there. The Cowboys (19-5, 3-2 Big 12) posted five runs in the second and entered the fourth

with a 6-1 lead.

There, Riggio hit a two-run double, and Schubart knocked in two more with a single to right field. Benge stepped to the plate with Schubart and Nolan McLean on base. He did it again. Benge sent another ball over the wall in left field, scoring three runs and giving OSU a 13-1 advantage.

“The second (home run) was really me just swinging at the ball that hard and something happened,” Benge said. “…That’s my main bread and butter there is opposite way. So, just like not changing. Don’t fix it if it’s not broken.”

Kilfoyl allows one hit in Cowgirls win vs Baylor to clinch series victory

grounding out

for the third time in the game. That’s what Lexi Kilfoyl’s drop ball does to hitters. After allowing a hit to the first batter of the game — an infield single that OSU second baseman Rachel Becker couldn’t fully collect — Kilfoyl pitched seven innings without another hit in the Cowgirls’ 5-0 win vs Baylor on Saturday. “I think if you ask Becker, she thinks she ought to make that play,” said OSU coach Kenny Gajewski. Kilfoyl not only struck out six, but also induced 10

groundouts, primarily due to her drop ball pitch that Gajewski described as trying to hit a bowling ball. She faced 25 batters in the game, but got through it with only 83 pitches.

“That’s one of the pitches I’ve had for the longest,” Kilfoyl said. “So I feel like I’ve had that for 10 years. That’s my go-to for everything. It comes natural to me. It’s harder for hitters to hit it. But they also know it’s coming, so I have to spin it more than usual.”

Baylor shortstop Amber Toven strolled to the dugout, distraught, and clinched her helmet with both hands, appearing like she wanted to slam it after

Cowboys pick up win, series victory over Bears behind Benge’s big day

Courtesy of Michelle Salazar

Wilson Lazo-Salmeron (left) and Michelle Salazar (right) were crowned OSU’s 2023 Hispanic Latinx royalty.

Crown

Benge (pictured with

Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor

Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Chase Davis

Lexi Kilfoyl (left), Megan Bloodworth (middle), and Micaela Wark (right) give high fives prior to first pitch.

Kilfoyl...

Continued from 1

In Friday’s game, OSU starter Kyra Aycock allowed five runs in the second inning, forcing the Cowgirls to rally back into extra innings for a win. Saturday was the opposite, with Kil-

foyl only allowing one hit while OSU’s lineup began scoring early.

When she transferred from Alabama, Kilfoyl dealt with and continues to play through a hip labrum injury. But in her first year at OSU — with a 1.40 ERA this season — she could compete for the ace pitcher role, even with Kelly Maxwell in the rotation, but she’s content being the No. 2.

Kilfoyl began the season as a

two-way player, also hitting as the designated player. But with the injury, and after talks with Gajewski, she had to give it up for the time, to focus on pitching and allow other bats into the lineup. In the Big 12, Gajewski said sweeps are difficult to come by. But with Kilfoyl’s starts as the second pitcher and unselfish mindset, he said it makes winning all three games in the

weekend easier.

“She’s really good, and the thing that’s so cool about her is that she doesn’t care about being the ace,” Gajewski said. “She could care less, she wants to win. She wants to have a great role. When Kelly is out there, she’s the loudest one. She appreciates being on a really good team.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis Lexi Kilfoyl warms up before the matchup vs. North Texas.

Big day...

Continued from 1

Benge entered Saturday with two home runs and 15 RBI, but he matched his home run total and added five RBI to his season total. Benge returned to the mound this season after injury, picking up three starts so far, but he showed he hasn’t forgotten how to use a bat, too.

“He stays inside the ball,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “He’s aggressive, he’s confident, believes in himself, likes what he’s doing. Difficult to pitch to.”

Ben Abram pitched the first 6 1/3 innings for OSU and gave up just two runs through the first six with 10 strikeouts against only two walks. Between the big hits and solid outing at the mound, OSU took a 13-2 lead into the seventh inning, threatening a run-rule. Baylor (9-14, 2-3) started the seventh off with a home run from third baseman Hunter Teplanszky, then Evan O’Toole took over for Abram. O’Toole gave up a home run, and the lead shrunk to 13-6.

“Learning how to play with a sizable lead is a unique skill because in baseball to get up (13-1) and then there’s still a number of frames a lot of pitches left to be played,” Holliday said. “And sometimes the edge and the quality of focus, the high level with which you’re operating, loses a tiny bit of its connection because you’ve let the score take you off of that level.”

But Holliday said he liked how his team responded to Baylor’s run. The Cowboys picked up four walks and an RBI single from third baseman Tyler Wulfert to score two runs in the seventh and cushion the lead.

“We did some things on offense at times that were very exciting,” Holliday said. “Tremendous number of quality of at-bats stacked together.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Andy Crown

OSU’s Carson Benge smacked two home runs in the Cowboys’ 15-8 win over Baylor on Saturday night.

Bloodworth and Maxwell complete OSU’s comeback vs Baylor

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

Five days ago, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said Megan Bloodworth needed “a little bit of a reset” and pulled her from the starting lineup for one game.

Maxwell, who pitched the final seven innings. Kyra Aycock started in the circle, posting just one strikeout and giving up five runs on nine hits.

Brown’s

walk-off

secures OSU comeback win vs Baylor

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Marcus Brown knows the feeling of a facing a large deficit.

The junior shortstop has experienced many of those, now in his third season at OSU. He also knows the feeling of overcoming those – just as No. 20 OSU did in a 11-9 win vs Baylor on Friday night at O’Brate Stadium.

A sinking feeling struck Brown when he saw his team facing a 7-0 deficit after just three innings.

However, Brown’s been there before. He pointed to last season’s seven-run comeback to clinch a road series sweep over Texas in Austin as well as the 12-run comeback against Missouri State in the Stillwater Regional.

Those games were nearly one year ago. Yet, Brown pinpointed those, saying a comeback starts with the leaders.

“Yeah, those were last year and this is this

year, but it all starts with the people on the team, they’re mostly still the same,” Brown said. “All you have to do is just have a couple of guys believe.”

A three-run home run from first baseman David Mendham in the bottom of the third inning to cut the deficit to just three runs.

Then, the OSU (18-5, 2-2) bats garnered even more life.

It started with a double down the left field line by third baseman Aidan Meola, and continued with a single from Brown and another double from catcher Chase Adkison in the bottom of the fourth.

Brown said he felt the momentum of the game shift in his team’s direction.

“We’re never out of a game,” Brown said. “The scoreboard showed something, but I thought otherwise.”

A three-RBI triple from second baseman Roc Riggio cut the Baylor (9-13, 2-2) lead to one run. Next, Nolan McLean delivered with a two-run homer to put OSU in the lead.

The Cowboys plated one more run that half inning to take a 9-7 lead moving forward.

“From the hitting

side of things, you just try to stack up quality at bats and that’s what we did,” Brown said.

“Whether that’s a walk, hit-by-pitch, you know, just kind of grinding down the pitcher. If the ball isn’t in your zone, you take it.” Pass (the at-bat) on to the next guy.”

The six-run inning wasn’t enough. Baylor found its way back into the ballgame, scoring two runs in the top of the sixth and keeping the Cowboy offense at bay to send it into extra innings.

Still, Brown was unfazed.

When another opportunity arose in the bottom of the 11th, he capitalized on it with a walk-off two-run home run.

“The team showed a tremendous amount of fight and walked away with a great team victory,” said OSU coach Josh Holliday. “It was tough. It was hardfought. It was long, very long. It was costly from a standpoint of effort and investment, but we walked away winners. Marcus golfed one out of the ballpark to finish a great team win and it was very fitting that it ended that way.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

On Friday, Bloodworth hit a walkoff single for the No. 2 OSU Cowgirls in the bottom of the 11th inning to defeat No. 20 Baylor, 6-5.

“Seeing her walk it off is like an amazing feeling, for her, for me, for all of us,” Gajewski said. “She’s working hard and making plays and she’s doing the thing, so it’s good. She had some good at bats here tonight too.”

Quickly into the contest, the Cowgirls faced a 5-0 deficit after the Bears went for four hits in the top of the second inning.

Four hours and 35 minutes later, they stormed back and completed the come-from-behind win behind a 10 strikeout and one hit effort from Kelly

“I thought Kelly was really strong, thought she was as advertised to come in when she wasn’t even gonna throw tonight,” Gajewski said. “I told (Aycock) I was proud of her because she was fearless. She kept firing away and she just didn’t have her best stuff, so it’s gonna happen but that’s why we have this staff, so it’s cool to see.”

Chyenne Factor, who contributed with one run, two hits and two RBI’s on the night, said it was a sigh of relief for such a long game to end. Especially because it was Bloodworth who finished it off.

“Oh my gosh, like it was a long game and we kept having runners on after the seventh,” Factor said. “So to finally break through, for (Bloodworth) to get a hit, she’s been trusting the process and going through it, so that was cool to see.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Carson Toulouse

Marcus Brown getting splashed after his walk-off home run at O’Brate Stadium on Friday night.

Chase Davis

Megan Bloodwork hit a walk-off single to help the OSU Cowgirls beat Baylor 6-5 on Friday night.

Dogs rescued from China meat farms get new homes in US after arriving at JFK Airport

started.” said Kiera Mejia of The Ark, the Animal Reception Center at JFK.

Then, one by one, the dogs emerged to be greeted, in some cases by their new owners.

Beri says the dogs are bred for food, but sometimes stolen from their owners, with their leashes cut in backyards.

NEW YORK -- Forty-four good boys and girls arrived at Kennedy Airport on Thursday on the last leg of a rescue journey from China.

After a grueling 19-hour flight with a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska, the pups were cleared by a vet and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on what was National Puppy Day, a day to raise awareness about pet adoptions and the plight of puppies.

The Malamutes, Labradors and Pomeranians were taken out of their crates to eat, go outside and even listen to music scientifically engineered to appeal to dogs.

“I started playing all the music as everyone got settled in and there was a good amount of silence once it

“We’ve been waiting a long time,” said Mark Goldstein, 59, who drove from Brambleton, Va., that morning to take home Blossom the miniature poodle.

“She was in a bus or a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse,” said Goldstein, who works in healthcare.

“She is going to be the most loved and spoiled little dog.”

The adoptions came courtesy of No Dogs Left Behind, an animal rights group that rescues dogs from slaughterhouses, dog traffickers and dog meat trucks in East Asia. Founder Jeffrey Beri, a New York native, has gone all over the world with his crew of volunteers, pulling pooches out of danger in places like China.

“Today is a very emotional day,” he said. “These are covert missions that are taking place. We are getting closer every day to ending the dog meat trade. We have activists and volunteers from all over. We have an underground army.”

They also have the cutest pups this side of the Westminster Dog Show. Just ask Amy Carrico, 48, of Syracuse, who was waiting for Rudy, a 2-year-old poodle.

Carrico already has three other poodles from China that were rescued by Beri’s group.

“They need it and we can, so we do,” Carrico said, explaining her motivation to help. “I work three days a week. My husband works from home. So he will get lots of attention.”

Thirteen of the tail waggers caught connecting flights to Los Angeles, Miami, Utah and Texas, and a few without foster or permanent homes were headed to a sanctuary No Dogs Left Behind recently opened in Canton, N.Y.

The lucky dogs were targeted for rescue by Beri and No Dogs Left Behind, with the adoptees signing up to take them home over the summer. The organization has also done rescue work in Ukraine since it came under invasion.

“I really wanted to foster and I applied to like five places,” said AnnMarie Roach, 31, of Jersey City, who was adopting a dog related to a pooch she had already gotten from the rescue group.

“For us it was really just the mission and the horrifying aspect of the meat trade, and that it’s still happening in this day and age.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune

Mark Goldstein rejoicing after finally getting his adopted dog by No Dogs Left Behind after the CDC lifted a ban that blocked the dogs from entering the country, at The Ark at JFK, Brooklyn, New York, Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News/TNS)

Ellen Moynihan and Leonard Greene New York Daily News

Another Michigan State survivor shares story

Shooting was ‘one of my biggest fears’

Jakkar Aimery The Detroit News

EAST LANSING, Mich.

— A second Michigan State University survivor is saying the Feb. 13 mass shooting put her “face to face” with “one of my biggest fears” — “experiencing a school shooting.”

Guadalupe HuapillaPérez, a hospitality business junior at MSU and a student in the university’s College Assistance Migrant Program, was one of five students who was critically injured and hospitalized and the first to be publicly identified when her sister, Selena, posted a GoFundMe fundraiser to help raise money for her family’s expenses.

“I remember the sound of the first bullet shot,” HuapillaPérez wrote in a March 23 Facebook post, adding that some memories of that night are “very clear” while others are blurred.

“I don’t remember exactly when I got shot but I remember a classmate holding their shirt to my abdomen area,” said Huapilla-Pérez, who started her post by writing in Spanish that, first, she thanked God. “I can’t remember the pain of my wounds but I can remember the pain I felt in my heart seeing this horrible tragedy unfold before me.”

Troy Forbush, another shooting survivor who first shared his story at a Thursday March for Our Lives antigun rally at the Michigan Capitol, also reported that a fellow student applied pressure to his gunshot wounds.

Like Forbush, HuapillaPérez said she called her mother after she got shot, “afraid, so afraid that that would be the last time I talked to her. For her, a call she never expected but always feared receiving.”

It remains unclear wheth-

er she was shot at Berkey Hall or the MSU Union.

Speaking before hundreds of people at the Capitol on Thursday, Forbush recalled falling to the ground in front of his seat inside his Berkey Hall classroom, then trying to act dead as the accused shooter, Anthony McRae, 43, of Lansing, drew closer.

“As he panned the room with his handgun, I pled for my life and screamed, ‘Please don’t shoot me.’ We were met face to face with pure evil,” said Forbush, a double major in music education and vocal performance.

Forbush focused on calling the paramedics “lifesavers.” While expressing gratitude, Huapilla-Pérez reported feeling a “deep sense of loneliness and fear” on her ambulance ride to the hospital, a five-minute ride that she said felt like it took 20 minutes.

Huapilla-Pérez said she was released from Sparrow Hospital on March 13, exactly a month after the shooting, and will require multiple follow-up surgeries as she recovers from her injuries. Sister Selena said previously she “faces “months of care and subsequent rehabilitation.” The university is paying the medical bills of the survivors.

The injuries are severe enough that she is remaining in East Lansing to recover for now even though she would prefer to return home to Florida, she wrote on Facebook.

“My medical team and family felt I was not yet in a state to travel home to Florida but I hold out hope for the day I can go home and continue my recovery in the comfort and safety of my family home,” she said.

“There are challenging months ahead of me, as my wounds require follow up surgeries, making me relive

that pain and that moment once again,” Huapilla-Pérez said, adding that her family from southwest Florida has been by her side during her recovery, including her nieces, nephews and her dog. She said “a day doesn’t go by that I don’t mourn the loss” of Arielle Anderson,

Alexandria Verner and Brian Fraser, the three Metro Detroit students who were killed.

“I didn’t know them closely but it is a painful feeling to live with knowing I shared their last moments with them,” Huapilla-Pérez wrote, adding in Spanish, “Rest in peace.”

of Tribune

The business student asked that people respect her and her family’s privacy as she continues her recovery.

“Being out of the hospital feels so vulnerable and I still struggle with feeling safe,” Huapilla-Pérez wrote, ending with the sign-off “Forever Spartan Strong.”

Courtesy

People leave flowers, mourn and pray at a makeshift memorial at “The Rock” on the campus of Michigan State University on Feb. 14, 2023, in Lansing, Mich. A gunman opened fire at two locations on the campus last night killing three students and injuring several others. (Scott Olson/Getty Images/TNS)

Jonathan Majors’ lawyer says Marvel actor ‘completely innocent’ of assault charges and that woman has recanted

Peter Sblendorio and John Annese New York Daily News

NEW YORK — Rising film star Jonathan Majors on Sunday denied charges he choked and assaulted a woman during a domestic disturbance, saying through his lawyer that the woman has already recanted the allegations.

Majors, 33, who recently starred in “Creed III” and played the villain “Kang the Conqueror” in the latest Marvel movie, was arrested Saturday morning on charges of misdemeanor assault, attempted assault and aggravated harassment.

He called 911 from his penthouse apartment near W. 22nd Street and Eighth Street because his live-in girlfriend was causing problems, police sources said. When police arrived, they noticed she was injured, and she told them he hit her face, grabbed her hand and put his hand to her throat, the sources said.

On Sunday, Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, called Majors “completely innocent and provably the victim,” and said they’re gathering evidence to show the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office he didn’t assault her.

“This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations,” Chaudhry said.

“Unfortunately,

this incident came about because this woman was having an emotional crisis, for which she was taken to a hospital yesterday,” Chaudhry added. “The NYPD is required to make an arrest in these situations, and this is the only reason Mr. Majors was arrested. We expect these charges to be dropped soon.”

A spokesman for Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg declined comment Sunday. Chaudhry’s lawyer didn’t respond to a followup question about why the NYPD was supposedly “required to make an arrest.”

Majors, who rose to prominence after appearing in the indie movie “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” in 2019 and starred in the HBO series “Lovecraft Country,” is poised to play an outsized, highly anticipated role in the multibilliondollar Marvel film franchise.

He’s played versions of the “Kang” character in the first season of the TV show “Loki” and in the recently released “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and is expected to reprise the role in at least one upcoming “Avengers” film and Loki’s second season.

Law enforcement sources said the woman worked on the “Quantumania” set.

Majors was released without bail at a brief arraignment Saturday in Manhattan Criminal Court where a judge issued a limited order of protection for the victim. He’s due back in court in May.

Lethal fentanyl poisoning is real.

The drastic increase in opioid overdose deaths is largely due to fentanyl poisoning. Illegal fentanyl is cheaper than most other drugs on the streets and is being intentionally substituted into cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and drugs like counterfeit Adderall®, Percocet® and Xanax® as well.

Learn the facts and protect those you love.

Courtesy of Tribune

Jonathan Majors, left, and Michael B. Jordan attend the Los Angeles Premiere of “Creed III” at TCL Chinese Theatre on Feb. 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. (Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images/TNS)

Out-of-control wildfire in eastern North Carolina grows to 5,800 acres, state says

Smoke may impact driving conditions, and the smell is expected to drift in areas east of Creswell, the state warned.

Lifestyle

RALEIGH, N.C. — A wildfire in eastern North Carolina has spread across 5,800 acres with “0% containment,” the N.C. Department of Agriculture reports.

“The Last Resort Fire,” as it is being called, is burning on both private and federal lands in rural Tyrrell County, the department said in a March 25 news release.

“There are no injuries and no structures threatened at this time,” the department said.

“Light rain temporarily moderated conditions late (Saturday) afternoon. Firefighting crews will continue efforts to improve containment lines and monitor conditions through the remainder of the operational period.”

Seventy-fire firefighters have responded to the blaze, which grew from 4,500 acres to 5,800 acres over nine hours Saturday.

“The public is reminded to keep drones away from wildfires,” officials said. “While drones provide unique opportunities for aerial video and imagery of wildfire activity, they are unauthorized.

Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of pilots and interferes with firefighting efforts.” The fire started March 24 “on private land then moved onto Pocosin Lakes Wildlife Refuge near Lake Phelps,” according to station WITN.

news.ed@ocolly.com

“John Wick: Chapter 4” delivers

rable.

Although there was hardly any doubt towards this being the case, “John Wick: Chapter 4” has finally solidified the franchise in the pantheon of the greatest action films of all time.

This movie has elevated every single thing that made its predecessors great, while adding a hearty dose of new characters, set pieces and locations that make for an instant classic.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” follows the titular John Wick (Keanu Reeves) as he travels to Paris in hopes of ending his excommunication. On his bloody path of redemption and vengeance, he meets several new and old faces. Introducing new characters this late into the game can be a risky move; almost every new character in this film is instantly memo -

Across the nearly 3 hours of runtime, hardly a single second is wasted. Right when the film feels like it might be slowing down, it hits you in the face with another incredible action sequence or exciting plot development. The pacing is simply phenomenal, and the runtime flies by quicker than some films that are half of this length.

While Keanu Reeves delivers a typically stiff performance, he makes up for it with his excellent stunts and choreography. Although the rest of the cast shines strongly as well. Particularly Donnie Yen, who plays Caine, and Bill Skarsgard. It is a consistently well written and entertaining ride, even if the dialogue can get a bit redundant at times.

What truly makes “John Wick: Chapter 4” shine is just how grand and thrilling its action scenes are. This film does not pull a single punch with

its fight scenes, and several of the lesser fights in this movie could pass as a climax in a weaker film.

There is jaw dropping direction and cinematography at work here, making the entire movie feel like the spectacle to end all spectacles. Director Chad Stahelski is pulling out all the stops here to deliver one of the most action-packed, gruesome and elaborate experience.

There is a scene during the Paris segment that had me covering my mouth with delight over just how epic the events that were unfolding were. By the end of the film, it feels just as satisfying as finishing a hearty meal or a long book, which is a feeling most films fail to capture these days. “John Wick Chapter 4” is undoubtedly the best movie of the year, and easily one of the best action films in recent memories.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

assisting marketing department with media campaigns. Hours are flexible, we will work around your

Courtesy of Tribune

A wildfire in coastal Tyrrell County has spread to an estimated 5,800 acres with “0% containment,” the North Carolina Department of Agriculture reports. (North Carolina Forest Service/TNS)

Shant Shahrigian

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

Courtesy of Tribune.

Armed with an ancient pair of nunchaku, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) takes on hordes of attackers in a glass-shattering assault on the Osaka Continental in “John Wick: Chapter 4.” (Murray Close/Lionsgate/TNS)

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

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Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (03/27/23). Take charge for love this year. Nurture yourself with regular private reflection, dreaming and planning. Personal dreams come true this spring. Solve summer financial puzzles, before you and your partner celebrate autumn victories. Share support with unexpected winter costs. Convert your vision into reality.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Words get farther than action today.

You’re especially persuasive. Use your clever charms. Write, edit and revise. Express from your heart. Stick to practical priorities.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Tap into another funding source or a profitable project. Get terms in writing. Communicate and connect to advance. Plug financial leaks. You’ve got this.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Write in your journal. Tell your story. Process emotions and ideas through creative expression. Fantasies dissipate. List practical aims, goals and desires.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 6 — Finish old projects and organize for what’s ahead as you process where you’ve been. Stay sensitive with changes, challenges and transitions. Pause and review.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Get in touch with friends. The common vision you’ve been working toward appears within reach. Avoid controversy or bother. Make practical adjustments to advance.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Stick to practical professional priorities. Advance reliable projects and sources. Fantasies fade. Reinforce foundational elements. Strengthen the basics. Discuss conditions with respected experts.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Explore your subject. Patient, gentle connection can open doors. In person or virtual? Monitor travel conditions in real time. Write observations. Find inventive solutions.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Work with someone who sees your blind spot. Stay in communication around financial obligations, bargains and agreements. Do the paperwork. Collaborate and grow.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Creativity and romance unfold with patience. Reality doesn’t match fantasy. Stay flexible with ideas. Communication is your golden key. Share support to advance.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Focus on work, health and energy. Keep doing what’s working. Take practical steps. Strengthen immunities with good food, exercise and rest. Stay hydrated.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Relax and enjoy the situation. Breathe deeply. Focus on what you love. Reinforce basic structures. Prioritize fun over perfection. Make sweet music together.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Make domestic repairs before a breakdown gets worse, especially where water is concerned. Clearing clutter removes mental cobwebs. Cook up something delicious.

ACROSS

1 Blow a gasket

6 Tediously familiar

11 “That’s a pretty low

14 Angled cut

15 Love, in Italian 16 Female sheep

17 Swimming trunks worn by some surfers 19 Youngster

By Zachary David Levy

right-hand man

27 Pants, slangily

29 Descends, as a rock wall

30 “Who __ to judge?”

33 Low-lit 34 “When will u b here?”

35 Studio whose films begin with a roaring lion

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

38 Ceremonial event

39 Roadside lodging 40 Text alert option

41 Like many multivitamins

50 Punk icon Smith 51 Area before surgery, briefly 52 Works hard for 56 “Thunderstruck” rock band 57 Recurring role for Chris Hemsworth 60 Groupie 61 French “yes” 62 Nashville’s Grand __ Opry 63 __ Vegas Aces

Solution to Saturday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk