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The NBA Playoffs tip off this week and the road to the championship is wide open

Posted on | by getsetntravel | Leave a Comment on The NBA Playoffs tip off this week and the road to the championship is wide open


The NBA postseason tips off Tuesday, and the race for the title is wide open with star-studded teams like the Los Angeles Lakers having already been eliminated and big-name injuries making it unclear who this year’s favorites might be.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What are play-in games?

The top teams in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences are ranked from 1-10 based off of their regular season records.

It used to be the top eight teams from each conference were guaranteed to play a playoff series, but last year the NBA shook the old format up by introducing a play-in tournament which has teams 7-10 complete in a series of single-elimination games for the final two playoff spots in their respective conferences.

For the 7th and 8th ranked teams it’s “win and you’re in,” with the loser of that game playing the winner of a game between teams ranked 9 and 10.

Although it can sound a little complicated, the league’s new format gives more teams a shot at making it into the playoffs while also giving fans exciting elimination games to kick off the tournament.

The first play-in games will be Tuesday and Wednesday with Friday being the last opportunity for four teams to make it in.

The Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics won’t know their first-round opponents until the conclusion of Friday’s games.

Still confused? Here’s a brief overview of who plays who.

What teams are playing in in the Eastern Conference and who could they face?

The Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Brooklyn Nets in New York City in the first game of the tournament on Tuesday night, with the winner moving on to face the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Cleveland has struggled with injuries this season, with Ricky Rubio tearing his ACL before being traded to the Indiana Pacers and Collin Sexton looking to be out for the rest of the season regardless of how deep the Cavs go in. All-Star Jarrett Allen has also been sidelined for the past month with a finger fracture with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff unsure of when the star center could return.

They’ll face a formidable Brooklyn Nets team that already beat them less than a week ago and features superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Nets have been hamstrung most of the season with star-player Kyrie Irving only recently allowed to play games at home after refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Irving was arguably the highest-profile athlete to be affected by vaccine mandates.

If the Nets are able to make it through the week’s play-in games, there’s optimism that guard Ben Simmons, who was traded from Philadelphia but has been out injured, could also make an appearance in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The loser of Tuesday’s game will face the winner of Wednesday’s do-or-die game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

Atlanta will hope to repeat last season’s surprising playoff run where they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. They were later defeated by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Wednesday’s matchup will feature two of the league’s young stars, with Atlanta’s 23-year-old Trae Young becoming one of only two players to lead the league in total points and total assists.

Charlotte will hope second-year star LaMelo Ball will play a key role in the matchup, with this year having become the fourth-youngest player to make the All-Star game in history, behind Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

The number-one seeded Miami Heat will play the winner of Friday’s game.

What’s up with the Western Conference play-in games?

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The Los Angeles Clippers look like a team that could make a run in this year’s NBA playoffs after having lost star player Paul George for most of the season with a torn ligament in his shooting elbow. But George is back and will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.

George hasn’t been the only Clippers star to miss playing time due to injury.

The team will hope that two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard will be healthy enough to play for the first time since tearing his ACL in June.

Although it doesn’t appear he will feature in this week’s play-in matchup, there’s hope that if the team makes a run he could be back. And with both George and Leonard healthy the Clippers could make other teams nervous.

The winner between LA and Minnesota will move on to play the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round this weekend.

The West’s single elimination game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday. The Spurs have missed the playoffs the past two seasons after appearing every year between 1998 and 2019. The team won five NBA championships during that stretch.

The winner will face the loser of Tuesday night’s LA vs Minnesota matchup.

What about the other teams in the West?

Of all the teams already guaranteed a playoff berth, one of the hottest in the West must be the Devin Booker and Chris Paul-led Phoenix Suns who posted the league’s best regular season record of 64-18.

Paul, who turns 37 next month, will hope to return to the NBA Finals for only the second time in his career. Largely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in the game, last year’s Finals was Paul’s first shot at a championship before being defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks. Paul missed 15 games at the end of the regular season with a fractured thumb.

It won’t be easy for Phoenix to return to the NBA Finals even if Paul comes back healthy. The Western Conference features a slew of tough opponents looking for their own shot at the title.

The Dallas Mavericks will lean on their star player Luka Dončić, who left Sunday’s game early with a left calf strain, as they face the Utah Jazz. While the Golden State Warriors, who return to the playoffs for the first time since losing to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, will take on Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.

Last season’s MVP, Jokić looks to be the front-runner for the award again this season after becoming the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season.

Another team to keep an eye on are the Memphis Grizzlies and their electric young star Ja Morant. The Grizzlies will face the winner of LA and Minnesota.

Who is leading in the East?

The NBA’s Eastern Conference looks wide open, with all of the top-10 teams finishing the season within 10 games of each other.

The Miami Heat locked up the number one seed with Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia hot on their heels with each finishing the regular season with a record of 51-31.

The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Chicago Bulls in the first round, with star player Giannis Antetokounmpo in consideration for a possible third league MVP.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is another name regularly brought up with Antetokounmpo and Jokić as a possible MVP candidate. Born in Cameroon, Embiid recently became the first international player to clinch an NBA scoring title with an average of 30.6 points per game this season.

Philadelphia will face the Toronto Raptors and possible rookie of the year Scottie Barnes in the first round of the Playoffs. The Sixers will be at a bit of a disadvantage during their road games since Matisse Thybulle does not meet Canada’s vaccination requirements and won’t be allowed to play.





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The road to the championship is wide open : NPR

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Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. The league’s new format gives more teams a shot at making it into the playoffs while also giving fans exciting elimination games to kick off the tournament.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images


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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. The league’s new format gives more teams a shot at making it into the playoffs while also giving fans exciting elimination games to kick off the tournament.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The NBA postseason tips off Tuesday, and the race for the title is wide open with star-studded teams like the Los Angeles Lakers having already been eliminated and big-name injuries making it unclear who this year’s favorites might be.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What are play-in games?

The top teams in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences are ranked from 1-10 based off of their regular season records.

It used to be the top eight teams from each conference were guaranteed to play a playoff series, but last year the NBA shook the old format up by introducing a play-in tournament which has teams 7-10 complete in a series of single-elimination games for the final two playoff spots in their respective conferences.

For the 7th and 8th ranked teams it’s “win and you’re in,” with the loser of that game playing the winner of a game between teams ranked 9 and 10.

Although it can sound a little complicated, the league’s new format gives more teams a shot at making it into the playoffs while also giving fans exciting elimination games to kick off the tournament.

The first play-in games will be Tuesday and Wednesday with Friday being the last opportunity for four teams to make it in.

The Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics won’t know their first-round opponents until the conclusion of Friday’s games.

Still confused? Here’s a brief overview of who plays who.

What teams are playing in in the Eastern Conference and who could they face?

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets, along with Kyrie Irving, will make the team formidable opponents.

Sarah Stier/Getty Images


hide caption

toggle caption

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets, along with Kyrie Irving, will make the team formidable opponents.

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Brooklyn Nets in New York City in the first game of the tournament on Tuesday night, with the winner moving on to face the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Cleveland has struggled with injuries this season, with Ricky Rubio tearing his ACL before being traded to the Indiana Pacers and Collin Sexton looking to be out for the rest of the season regardless of how deep the Cavs go in. All-Star Jarrett Allen has also been sidelined for the past month with a finger fracture with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff unsure of when the star center could return.

They’ll face a formidable Brooklyn Nets team that already beat them less than a week ago and features superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Nets have been hamstrung most of the season with star-player Kyrie Irving only recently allowed to play games at home after refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Irving was arguably the highest-profile athlete to be affected by vaccine mandates.

If the Nets are able to make it through the week’s play-in games, there’s optimism that guard Ben Simmons, who was traded from Philadelphia but has been out injured, could also make an appearance in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The loser of Tuesday’s game will face the winner of Wednesday’s do-or-die game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

Atlanta will hope to repeat last season’s surprising playoff run where they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. They were later defeated by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Wednesday’s matchup will feature two of the league’s young stars, with Atlanta’s 23-year-old Trae Young becoming one of only two players to lead the league in total points and total assists.

Charlotte will hope second-year star LaMelo Ball will play a key role in the matchup, with this year having become the fourth-youngest player to make the All-Star game in history, behind Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

The number-one seeded Miami Heat will play the winner of Friday’s game.

What’s up with the Western Conference play-in games?

The Los Angeles Clippers look like a team that could make a run in this year’s NBA playoffs after having lost star player Paul George for most of the season with a torn ligament in his shooting elbow. But George is back and will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.

George hasn’t been the only Clippers star to miss playing time due to injury.

The team will hope that two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard will be healthy enough to play for the first time since tearing his ACL in June.

Although it doesn’t appear he will feature in this week’s play-in matchup, there’s hope that if the team makes a run he could be back. And with both George and Leonard healthy the Clippers could make other teams nervous.

The winner between LA and Minnesota will move on to play the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round this weekend.

The West’s single elimination game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday. The Spurs have missed the playoffs the past two seasons after appearing every year between 1998 and 2019. The team won five NBA championships during that stretch.

The winner will face the loser of Tuesday night’s LA vs Minnesota matchup.

What about the other teams in the West?

Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns will hope to return to the NBA Finals for only the second time in his career.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images


hide caption

toggle caption

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns will hope to return to the NBA Finals for only the second time in his career.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Of all the teams already guaranteed a playoff berth, one of the hottest in the West must be the Devin Booker and Chris Paul-led Phoenix Suns who posted the league’s best regular season record of 64-18.

Paul, who turns 37 next month, will hope to return to the NBA Finals for only the second time in his career. Largely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in the game, last year’s Finals was Paul’s first shot at a championship before being defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks. Paul missed 15 games at the end of the regular season with a fractured thumb.

It won’t be easy for Phoenix to return to the NBA Finals even if Paul comes back healthy. The Western Conference features a slew of tough opponents looking for their own shot at the title.

The Dallas Mavericks will lean on their star player Luka Dončić, who left Sunday’s game early with a left calf strain, as they face the Utah Jazz. While the Golden State Warriors, who return to the playoffs for the first time since losing to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, will take on Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.

Last season’s MVP, Jokić looks to be the front-runner for the award again this season after becoming the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season.

Another team to keep an eye on are the Memphis Grizzlies and their electric young star Ja Morant. The Grizzlies will face the winner of LA and Minnesota.

Who is leading in the East?

The NBA’s Eastern Conference looks wide open, with all of the top-10 teams finishing the season within 10 games of each other.

The Miami Heat locked up the number one seed with Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia hot on their heels with each finishing the regular season with a record of 51-31.

The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Chicago Bulls in the first round, with star player Giannis Antetokounmpo in consideration for a possible third league MVP.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is another name regularly brought up with Antetokounmpo and Jokić as a possible MVP candidate. Born in Cameroon, Embiid recently became the first international player to clinch an NBA scoring title with an average of 30.6 points per game this season.

Philadelphia will face the Toronto Raptors and possible rookie of the year Scottie Barnes in the first round of the Playoffs. The Sixers will be at a bit of a disadvantage during their road games since Matisse Thybulle does not meet Canada’s vaccination requirements and won’t be allowed to play.





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That Sudbury Sports Guy: Basketball stories from far (east) and wide

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Gabrielle Schwabe, foreground, poses for a photo with the Canadian women's basketball team during her Canada Basketball internship in summer 2019, which led to a full-time position as woman’s high performance assistant. Schwabe now serves as co-ordinator of women's basketball operations.
Gabrielle Schwabe, foreground, poses for a photo with the Canadian women’s basketball team during her Canada Basketball internship in summer 2019, which led to a full-time position as woman’s high performance assistant. Schwabe now serves as co-ordinator of women’s basketball operations. Photo by Canada Basketball

As the Sudbury Five prepared to tip off their third season of participation in the National Basketball League of Canada, I was reminded just how much Sudbury is fast becoming very much a basketball town.

Sure, it wasn’t all that evident in January, with everything brought to a standstill in the world of local sports. But all it took was a simple statement to open the doors to competition, once again, and folks with ties to the hardcourt in the Nickel City were more than ready to go barging through.

And their excitement wasn’t limited to solely local venues.

Gabrielle Schwabe, daughter of CBC radio personality and friend of local sports Markus Schwabe, took her show on the road, part of the entourage of the national women’s team which was participating in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament in Osaka, Japan.

More specifically, Schwabe, who is a graduate of the sports administration or SPAD program at Laurentian University is serving as co-ordinator of women’s basketball operations for Basketball Canada. The times in which we currently live added a whole new level of planning for the young woman who was responsible for planning and executing all logistical pieces of getting 25 team members and staff into Japan.

Unfortunately, though it was her first visit, the memories of the Far East for Schwabe will be far more basketball-centric than she would prefer.

“To be honest, it didn’t feel like I was in Japan, except for the long travel days,” she said (a sentiment that I would fully concur with as my Olympic run in Beijing comes to an end).

“Japan currently has a travel ban restricting any entry into the country. We were granted multiple exemptions to enter, but were then confined to the hotel and gym as part of the COVID protocols, and had to fulfill a number of daily check-ins and daily PCR tests following the Japanese government requirements.”

That said, the on-the-court product, from a national team standpoint, also proved quite rewarding as incoming head coach Victor Lapena and assistant Noelle Quinn chalked up their first victories in an international showcase as Team Canada lost in overtime to Japan but beat a strong Bosnian team.

“The games and practices were very beneficial for this group as a first step for Paris 2024 (World Cup),” Schwabe noted. “It was exciting to be part of the behind-the-scenes with these high-end athletes.”

Determined to develop

Also travelling outside of Sudbury but much closer to home, Charlie Hennessy ventured west along Highway 17, connecting with coach Jeff Giovanatti and the Great Lakes Academy in Sault Ste. Marie. Though the 17-year-old was a mainstay of both school and club basketball programs locally, the uncertainty of the 2021-22 season opened the door to a whole new experience for Hennessy.

“I knew that if I wanted to develop my game enough to play at the next level, this was my chance,” he said. “I needed to improve my ability to finish around the rim now that every time I try and attack it, there is trying to block it. I want to continue to get better at what I’m already good at — and that’s knocking down shots.”

“One of the most pleasing parts of the whole thing is that I proved to myself that I can compete with the best. Almost every game, we play against top teams from across the country,” added the young man who has already decided to return for one more year at his new school.

“All of the guys I see getting recruited out of prep school are a year older than me — and I can still improve so much.”

Total team effort

Of course, even the teams that call Sudbury home are not necessarily spending all of their time in Northern Ontario. Coach Natalie Goudreau and the U13 boys are one of the many local contingents that have taken to the road for Basketball Ontario mini-tournament action, with teams across the province resuming head to head matchups after a pause of some six weeks or so.

With all roads (within this division) leading to Ontario Cup finals on the weekend of April 22, the Sudbury Jam U13 boys opened with a November weekend series that included the Stratford Revolution and Thornhill Thunder, battling the Milton Stags and St. Catharines Rebels this past weekend.

“The boys went in wanting to focus on spacing on offence and forcing turnovers by pressing on the defensive side — which they had great success with,” suggested coach Goudreau. “The coaching staff was very pleased with the overall team effort. The boys agree on what they feel they need to improve on, as a team, and are looking forward at getting back in the gym, back to work.”

The 2021-22 edition of the Sudbury Jam U13 boys team is composed of Parker Schiewek, Carter McLennan, Lunden Campbell-Runia, William Burlington, Reece Keyes, Landon Francis, Thomas Mullaly, Blake Roy, Peyton Goudreau, Narayan Shukla and coaches Natalie Goudreau, Alex Francis and Clayton Schiewek.

Focused on future

While the Lo-Ellen Park Knights Prep program has done a nice job of moving local secondary student-athletes on to the next level, they are certainly not the only option that promising Sudbury basketball talent has availed themselves to.

Not every member of the Sudbury U17 Jam girls team is likely eyeing the potential of varsity post-secondary participation, but some certainly have. That group includes Charlie Herold, whose had more than just the challenges of the pandemic to overcome while trying to chase down her basketball dreams.

“I was in a quad accident last spring and broke my arm,” the Lockerby Composite senior said. “I think that gave me the ability to work harder than everyone else, just to get back or become better than before. Not knowing when your season is starting up or if it is going to start up again has kept me going and training harder through the past couple of years.”

No guarantee that all of this will necessarily find Herold a spot on a university or college roster spot come the fall, but the local is not going to go down without a fight.

“I am training at least four to five days a week,” she said. “My goals are to improve my ball handling, building the confidence in taking the ball up the court — and becoming faster.

“I have been spending lots of time lifting weights at Healthy Living and having private practices with one of my teammates and coach George Serresse at The Facility.”

Rounding out the Sudbury Jam U17 girls roster are Lainey Allen, Ava Ziegler, Alyzee Bisaillon, Sophia Allen, Makayla Bertrand, Noelle Tiangco, Charlie Herold, Kylie Thibeault, Emma Dawson, Taylor MacNeill, Grace Crowder and head coach Bruce Cowtan.

Randy Pascal is That Sudbury Sports Guy. Read his columns regularly in The Sudbury Star.

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Winter Storm Threatens Disruption Across Wide Stretch of the U.S.

Posted on | by getsetntravel | Leave a Comment on Winter Storm Threatens Disruption Across Wide Stretch of the U.S.


A powerful winter storm crept across the upper Midwest on Friday, tracking on a circuitous path that forecasters said could create a cascade of power outages, hazardous travel conditions and deepening supply-chain problems across a vast section of the country extending from the South to the East Coast.

The sprawling weather system prompted winter storm warnings and watches from North Dakota down to northern Mississippi and across to Raleigh, N.C., and areas of western New York.

But some ambiguity remained over how much snow, ice and rain the storm could bring in the coming days, especially in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic, where another storm caught transportation officials off guard and stranded hundreds of drivers in Virginia last week.

“This is going to be a major setback for several days for companies trying to move products around the country just due to the scale of the storm,” Jonathan Porter, the chief meteorologist for AccuWeather, which is based in State College, Pa., said on Friday.

Inland portions of the Appalachians extending from western North Carolina and western Virginia to western Pennsylvania and upstate New York could get 12 to 18 inches of snow during the storm, Mr. Porter said. The rate of snowfall could be more than an inch an hour in some places, which could cause significant travel delays.

“It’s falling too quick for road crews, as great as the road crews are, for them to keep up with it,” he said.

In the Northeast, the storm is expected to bring one to three inches of snow to Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston from midday Sunday to Monday morning, Mr. Porter said, noting that the precipitation would most likely turn to rain and could vary in amount if the storm shifts.

He warned that the storm could produce wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour along the coast.

In the South, ice loomed as a major concern for meteorologists, who said that northeastern Georgia and the Carolinas were expected to bear the brunt of freezing precipitation on Saturday night into Sunday.

“While much is going to be said about the snow, we’re also raising the alarm of the ice storm that’s going to occur across the Carolinas,” Mr. Porter said. “It looks like that’s a recipe for extended power outages and tree damage in those areas.”

Some airports and transportation departments were already bracing for potential travel issues.

David Roth, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service, said Thursday evening that meteorologists expected the forecasts to evolve.

“There’s more uncertainty than usual,” Mr. Roth said. “When we’re dealing with the difference between rain and sleet and freezing rain and snow, subtle changes make a big difference.”

By early Friday, snow was falling across parts of North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the Weather Service. Road conditions were already quickly deteriorating, the agency’s office in Bismarck, N.D., said.

“This snow will combine with gusty winds to produce slippery, snow covered roads and significantly reduced visibility,” the Weather Service said on Twitter. “Travel will likely become hazardous to dangerous at times.”

The storm is expected to move southeast later on Friday toward Iowa, where some areas could get six to 10 inches of snow, according to the Weather Service.

Southwest Airlines warned on Thursday that travelers passing through or from Des Moines International Airport could see flights delayed, diverted or canceled. Other cities under the airline’s travel advisory include St. Louis, Omaha and Kansas City, Mo. American Airlines and Delta made similar announcements related to the weather.

The Federal Aviation Administration advised travelers on Friday to check with their airlines for storm-related delays and cancellations, saying that those decisions are made by the carriers.

The storm could bring wintry weather to parts of western Kentucky and southeast Missouri by Friday night, with snowfall amounts of up to four inches possible, according to the Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky.

In addition to exacerbating supply-chain issues, forecasters warned that the storm could hamper coronavirus testing operations in many areas and place additional strain on health care workers. The storm could also further complicate recovery efforts in Kentucky and other areas that were ravaged by a series of deadly tornadoes last month, the forecasters said.

Nashville could get three to six inches of snow starting around midday on Saturday, with higher snowfall amounts north of the city in what has already been a snowy winter, meteorologists said.

“Nashville may have more snow this winter than both Milwaukee and Chicago,” Mr. Porter said. “That’s pretty impressive.”

On Saturday, the storm system is expected to continue moving southeast toward upper South Carolina, northeast Georgia and western North Carolina. The Weather Service said mixed precipitation was possible in the area, with up to 10 inches of snow possible, along with possible accumulations of ice.

Dave Nadler, a meteorologist with the Weather Service office in Peachtree, Ga., said in a briefing that some ice accumulation in northern Georgia could be significant.

“We are looking at the potential for a significant winter storm,” Mr. Nadler said. “The looks of that and the confidence of that is starting to increase.”

The uncertainty in the forecast could be unnerving for those who live along Interstate 95 in Virginia, after a snowstorm this month left hundreds of drivers stranded in their vehicles for more than 24 hours.

Although there is uncertainty in the forecast along the I-95 corridor and to the east, the highest impacts and heaviest of any snow is expected west of the area, according to the Weather Service.

Still, the Virginia Department of Transportation was not taking any chances, and on Thursday its crews began spraying portions of I-95 with a solution of salt and brine, which helps prevent ice from bonding to roadways.

“On Sunday, drivers should avoid unnecessary travel with the chance of dangerous weather and road conditions during or even after the storm,” the department said in a statement. “Even with pre-treatment, icy to slick conditions remain possible.”





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Dos Hermanos is one of America’s top 25 taco trucks, according to Far & Wide

Posted on | by getsetntravel | Leave a Comment on Dos Hermanos is one of America’s top 25 taco trucks, according to Far & Wide


Author Cecilia Wood –

Far & Wide
Dos Hermanos Jeffrey Guzman. Photo via Pat Byington for Bham Now

Is it about time to make lunch plans? Far & Wide, a well-known national travel digital publication, named a Birmingham favorite in a post titled “America’s Top 25 Taco Trucks Will Make You Hungry.” Want to know which Birmingham food truck won the title?

Dos Hermanos Taco Truck

Los Dos Hermanos
Los Dos Hermanos devotee Derrell Bryant. Photo via Pat Byington for Bham Now

According to Far & Wide, Dos Hermanos Taco Truck is Alabama’s best taco truck—and one of the top 25 nationwide.

Far & Wide had great things to say about Los Dos Hermanos’ tacos. This is how they described the popular food truck to their 2.5 million+ monthly readers:

“This cash-only taco truck is always busy — and for good reason. It’s the best place to satisfy that taco craving when in Birmingham. Reviewers claim the tacos are so good that they rival any taco you’d find on the streets of Mexico City.”

Far & Wide

If you’ve had the pleasure of trying Dos Hermanos’ tacos, you know what they’re talking about.

A Birmingham Favorite

Dos Hermanos
Los Dos Hermanos Taco Truck. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

Dos Hermanos is no stranger to recognitions like this. In fact, just last year, Far & Wide declared them as Alabama’s best burrito.

So what makes Dos Hermanos rank amongst the best of the best in the country? High quality and excellent service. They’ve been feeding Birmingham with delicious tacos and burritos for over 12 years—and we can’t wait for many more.

Ready to Try Dos Hermanos for Yourself?

It’s about time to make lunch plans, so there’s no better reason to order some tacos. Thankfully, their schedule is solid, so you don’t have to worry about chasing them down. Pro tip: keep this schedule for future reference.

Birmingham – 1st Avenue North and 14th

Tuesday-Friday 9AM-2PM

Bessemer – 604 9th Avenue SW 35022

Saturday-Sunday 8AM-3PM

Homewood – 211 West Valley 35209

Tuesday-Sunday 9AM-2PM

What do you think about Far & Wide’s winner? Let us know on social @BhamNow!





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Coroner’s report cites lack of seatbelts in fatal UVic field trip, says road wide enough to pass

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Two 18-year-old University of Victoria students on a first-year field trip to Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in the fall of 2019 died of blunt force head trauma — caused in part by a lack of seatbelt use — when the bus they were on crashed, says a coroner’s report released Wednesday.

The bus was carrying 45 students and two teaching assistants to Bamfield, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, on a class trip on Sept. 13, 2019, when it crashed on Bamfield Road after steering to avoid an approaching vehicle.

The report says the road, a sometimes-narrow 76-kilometre industrial logging route that connects Port Alberni to Bamfield, was wide enough at the crash site for two vehicles to pass without contact.

Emma Sydney MacIntosh Machado, of Winnipeg, and John Matthew Geerdes, of Iowa City, Iowa, died in the crash. The two students were seated beside one another when the coach bus rolled down an embankment. Several other students were injured.

The chartered Wilson’s Transportation coach bus had been fitted with seatbelts, but their use by students was not enforced by the driver or school staff, the coroner’s report says.

The bus was travelling south on Bamfield Road when it encountered a vehicle traveling north about 9 p.m. and the driver moved right to allow the vehicle to pass. “Moments after steering to the right, the wheels of the bus sunk into the soft shoulder, causing the centre of mass for the bus to roll over, down an embankment,” the report says.

During the rollover, Geerdes and Machado were partially ejected through a window and sustained fatal injuries. Both were extracted “but resuscitation was not provided” as it was apparent both were dead.

A police investigation noted that the area of roadway where the collision occurred “was wide enough to permit both vehicles to pass in opposing directions without contact.” Neither speed nor the condition of the bus was a factor, the coroner’s report says.

In B.C., Motor Vehicle Act regulations require passengers to use seatbelts in all vehicles except those originally manufactured without seatbelts. “The use of seatbelts on coach buses is not consistently regulated across Canada and Transport Canada is currently reviewing the national laws,” the report says.

Machado’s mother, Ethel MacIntosh, a surgeon specializing in oncology, said the coroner’s report is upsetting in that it suggests lack of seatbelt use as the most important factor. While she suspects seatbelt use would have changed the outcome, “it seems to place the blame on the students.”

Several students have told the Times Colonist that when the bus turned over, only about two people were hanging upside down, restrained by their seatbelts.

MacIntosh says Machado was a cautious driver, always wore a seatbelt in any vehicle, and would obey any instruction to do so.

“Obviously, the culture of riding buses is different — and needs to change,” MacIntosh said. “I agree that a responsible adult on that bus should have told the students to do that. There apparently was no responsible adult there.”

MacIntosh said her daughter and Geerdes were killed by “driver error.”

“The report alludes to the fact that the driver should have not pulled closer to the shoulder — and given the road and condition, weather and darkness, clearly the driver misjudged the location of the bus on the road,” she said.

MacIntosh also said the top-heavy coach was the wrong vehicle to have on that road — the centre of gravity allowed the bus to tip and the large windows allowed John and Emma to be ejected, said MacIntosh. “That would not have happened with a regular school bus.”

The fact that prior trips had occurred without incident “does not mean it was safe,” said MacIntosh. “They were just lucky before.”

The University of Victoria commissioned an independent review, released in June 2020, that resulted in 43 recommendations — seven of which were completed in February. The UVic report pointed to contributing factors that included a late departure from Victoria that resulted in the trip being made in the dark, a soft shoulder from recent road grading, lack of seatbelt enforcement and inadequate staffing to enforce university policies and procedures.

The university has said future field-trip travel will take place during daylight hours and staff will enforce protocols including wearing of seatbelts when available. Since the crash, the only other trip to the marine sciences centre used a ferry for the final leg.

Since 1987, the B.C. Coroner Service has recorded six other deaths due to motor vehicle collisions along Bamfield Road.

Huu-ay-aht First Nations Chief Councillor Robert Dennis Sr., who advocated for improvements to the road for years, said the province has signed off on a three-year funding agreement —$25.7 million from the province and $5 million from the Huu-ay-aht — for safety upgrades and hard surfacing of the road.

“Emma and John were in the wrong vehicle, in the wrong place, at the wrong time of day,” MacIntosh said. “While accidents happen, there were so many small things that could have made a difference. We and John’s families continue to struggle daily with the holes left behind in our families.”

ceharnett@timescolonist.com

© Copyright Times Colonist





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Janet Mills phasing in wide travel to Maine, higher capacity limits ahead of tourism season

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Good morning from Augusta. Gov. Janet Mills will unveil her spring and summer economic reopening plan at an 11 a.m. news conference, but we have the scoop below. Here’s your soundtrack.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We have no control, no authority over what our students and their families do when they’re not in school,” said Hermon High School teacher Jesse Hargrove after the state opened COVID-19 vaccinations to teachers. “So knowing that there is still a potential risk, especially for some of our more vulnerable teacher populations, it’s important for them to be vaccinated.”

What we’re watching today

The governor’s reopening plan will allow widespread travel and economic activity before Memorial Day. Mills will immediately allow people from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island to travel to the state without a 10-day quarantine and lift Maine’s testing and quarantine requirements for people in any state who are fully vaccinated and have waited 14 days after their last dose, per two sources familiar with a plan to she will announce on Friday morning.



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