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5 Things You Didn't Know About Dawn Staley

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Dawn Staley


The University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball team is celebrating its third NCAA Championship after defeating Iowa 87-75 in the title game. The win is a perfect end to an undefeated season under the leadership of head coach Dawn Staley, who coached an entirely new starting five to a perfect season.

Staley’s win made her the fifth coach to win at least three national championships – part of an elite group that includes UConn’s Geno Auriemma, Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, LSU’s Kim Mulkey and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer. But Staley isn’t just a great coach. She also had an impressive career as a player, with three Final Fours and one national title game appearance as a player for Virginia, five WNBA All-Star honors with the Charlotte Sting and three Olympic gold medals playing with Team USA.

While we’re still floating on the high of South Carolina’s storybook season, here are five things to know about the team’s incredible coach.

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She’s a Philly Girl

Dawn Staley has been a coach at the University of South Carolina since 2008. But the Philly native, who grew up in the Raymond Rosen Projects, represents her city every chance she gets rooting for the local sports teams. You can spot her on the sidelines rocking Eagles gear.

Or hanging out at the Phillies game with Travis and Jason Kelce.

She Loves Her Sneakers

A quick scan of her Instagram account and you’ll see that Coach Staley has a thing for shoes. From Jordans in her team’s colors to colorful Air Force 1s, her sneaker game is tight, and she loves to show them off.

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She is Strong in Her Faith

While most people attribute South Carolina’s success to the team’s hard work and strong leadership, Coach Staley makes sure to give most of the credit to a higher power.

After South Carolina’s exciting championship win, Staley took time to thank God for the success her team has had this season.

“We serve an unbelievable God,” she said in a tearful postgame interview.

Staley also uses faith to inspire her players. She has a meal with her team before each game where she shares a “Gameday Devotional” which includes a a team picture and a Bible verse.

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She’s Outspoken on Civil Rights Issues

Besides being a champion for her players on the court, Staley has also been consistently outspoken on issues of civil rights. In 2020, she joined other University of South Carolina players and coaches in a campaign to remove the late South Carolina Senator Strom Thurman’s name from the school’s fitness center, arguing that his stance on segregation and his opposition of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 shouldn’t be honored. And when a Black volleyball player from Duke was targeted with racial slurs from fans at Brigham Young University during a game in 2022, she canceled a two-game series against the school.

“As a head coach, my job is to do what’s best for my players and staff,” she said in a statement at the time. “The incident at BYU has led me to reevaluate our home-and-home, and I don’t feel that this is the right time for us to engage in this series.”

Her Players Love Her

Coach Staley doesn’t just make her team run laps and review highlight footage. She’s also incredibly nurturing to the members of her team, who consider her a mother figure when they’re away from home, showing up at graduations and other important events.

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“It means a lot just to play – just to learn from her,” said guard Raven Johnson. “I go to her about everything. I could joke around with her. I could do anything, just anything. She’s like a mom, like a home away from home. It’s a home-away-from-home feeling.

“I wish you guys could experience that and just how much she’s helped me as a player and as a woman. And she’s just amazing, man. It’s a blessing. Just playing for her is so much fun. People just love playing for her. People would run through brick walls for her,” said guard Te-Hina Paopao.





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Cleveland, OH

Bodies of 2 young girls found in suitcases in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood

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Bodies of 2 young girls found in suitcases in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd on Tuesday confirmed the bodies of two young girls were found in suitcases on the city’s East Side Monday evening.

Cleveland police were called just after 6 p.m. to a field in the area of East 163rd and Midland Avenue for a suspected dead body.

According to police sources, a man was walking his dog in the area, for the first time in awhile due to the snow, and the dog hit on the scent.

The man immediately called 911.

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“The officers responded out and located a deceased individual that was in a shallow grave inside of a suitcase,” said Chief Todd.

When officers and homicide detectives got to the scene, Todd said they found the second body nearby.

According to the chief, both suitcases were partially buried in shallow graves. She said the victims had been there quite some time.

“It is traumatic for everyone. It is traumatic for those who live in the area to know that this was right there at their door step,” said Todd.

Authorities said one victim is believed to be 8-and-a-half to 13 years old and the other is believed to be 10-and-a-half to 14 years old.

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There is no indication at this time on their identities, according to police.

“locally we have no reports of missing children to match these identifications. We are checking statewide as well. We have assistance from our state federal and local partners,” said Todd.

Detectives are checking with state and federal partners as well.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has taken custody of the bodies and will conduct further examination to determine the cause of death.

This crime scene is located near Ginn Academy in the city’s South Collinwood neighborhood.

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Police said the investigation remains in its very early stages and there is no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.

If anyone has any information, they are asked to call the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.

Tips can remain anonymous.



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Cleveland, OH

More than 30K FirstEnergy customers without power in Cuyahoga County

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More than 30K FirstEnergy customers without power in Cuyahoga County


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Thousands of FirstEnergy customers are without power in Cuyahoga County this Tuesday.

The total number reached 31,785 reported outages in Cuyahoga County at noon.

That number decreased to 16,486 as of 1:10 p.m.

There were just 2,751 still without power less than an hour later at 2 p.m.

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FirstEnergy estimates power to be restored to most impacted customers between 2-4 p.m. Tuesday.

FirstEnergy spokesperson Brooke Conlan said this is due to small fires on poles.

According to Conlan, the misty rain combined with salt on the road can cause contamination on utility poles, which causes electricity to travel across the the pole and cause the fire.

Conlan added their crews are working as quickly as possible to restore power.

Due to the outages, the Parma Justice Center is closed, and all court proceedings are suspended for the remainder of Tuesday.

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Cleveland, OH

David Henry Obituary – Vermilion, OH

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David Henry Obituary – Vermilion, OH



David Henry


OBITUARY

David G. Henry, 70, of Vermilion, passed away Sunday, March 1, 2026, at his home following a lengthy illness.He was born December 14, 1955, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and had made Vermilion his home for the past 42 years, moving from Irwin, Pennsylvania.Dave began his career with Westinghouse in Pennsylvania before relocating to Ohio in 1983. He was employed at Elyria Foundry for 20 years and later worked as a machinist for 14 years at Betcher Industries, where he retired. He was known throughout his career for his strong work ethic and skilled craftsmanship.In his free time, Dave enjoyed woodworking, taking pride in the projects he created with his hands. Above all, he cherished the time he spent with his family, especially his children and grandchildren.He is survived by his daughter, Alicia Parsons of Vermilion; his sons, David (Fiona) Henry of Bloomington, Indiana and Jonathan (Joanna) Henry of Vermilion and Anthony (Ashley) Cico of Amherst; and 13 beloved grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene (nee Eckenrode) Henry in 2017; his parents, Charles and Gloria (nee Krider) Henry; his brother, Howard Henry; and his son-in-law, Cliff Parsons.The family will receive friends on Friday, March 20, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 5:00 p.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion, Ohio.Memorial contributions may be made to Friendship Animal Protective League of Lorain County, Inc. 8303 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria, OH 44035 or Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 95000 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com



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