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NJ tournament game ends in uproar after umpire makes controversial call on game-tying home run

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NJ tournament game ends in uproar after umpire makes controversial call on game-tying home run

A potential game-tying, three-run home run in the final inning of a high school baseball state tournament game was waved off after an umpire ruled that a runner had not touched home plate, which ended the game.

Northern Highlands High School in New Jersey was down to its final out on Wednesday in the first round of the state’s Section 3, Group 1 tournament when Beckham Stern blasted a three-run home run – all for naught.

The big lefty flipped his bat in the air for good reason, as he had just tied the game at three in miraculous fashion – or so he thought. 

However, the home plate umpire said that the first baserunner, who had originally been on second, never touched home.

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A high school baseball game ended in controversy after a game-tying home run was waved off.

The opposing team in Mount Olive seemed to notice right away, as their catcher immediately jogged to the pitcher’s mound.

According to New Jersey Advance Media, Mount Olive head coach Pete Zoccolillo said that the catcher had gotten no inkling from the umpire, but the ump did appear to turn toward the area behind the dish after the runner had crossed.

The video shows it is unclear whether the runner did, in fact, touch home, although he clearly is in the vicinity of the plate.

A baseball laying in a glove on the grass. (Getty Images)

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As Northern Highlands headed back toward the dugout, Mount Olive had a mound visit with the entire infield, all while Northern Highlands head coach Paul Albarella was talking to the next batter.

There clearly seemed to be a bit of confusion from the Mount Olive side, but Zoccolillo, several feet from the foul line, instructed his pitcher to step off the mound and throw it home.

The catcher caught the ball and stepped on home, and the umpire ruled the appeal successful, thus giving Mount Olive a 3-0 win.

The runner in question, and the head coach, argued with the umpire, but to no avail.

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“He completely jumped over home plate and missed by like three feet,” Zoccolillo said Thursday. “The umpire was standing right there, and he saw it. He saw it. And he was watching everybody touch home, and the kid jumped over home plate. So the second kid came around, and the third kid came around, so I appealed it. Everybody saw it. Myself, the crowd, everybody saw the kid completely jumped over home plate.”

This isn’t the first controversy in the New Jersey Interscholatic Athletic Association this year. Manasquan High School thought they had won a trip to the boys’ basketball Group 2 state championship after a buzzer-beater against Camden. 

SEC baseballs. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

However, despite the shot clearly having gotten off in time, officials gathered afterward and reversed the call, giving Camden a 46-45 victory. Camden eventually won the state tournament at Rutgers, with Manasquan players in attendance.

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The seventh-seeded Mount Olive squad advanced to the second round, where they will play No. 2 Ramapo on Wednesday.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.



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New York

Video: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

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Video: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

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Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan on Thursday to vastly expand free and low-cost child care for families across the state in the coming years and add programs for 2-year-olds.

“Today, we’re working together with the mayor at this incredible place to announce the first major steps to make child care universal — truly universal — here in New York City, transforming the lives of children and parents all across the state.” “We will build on the city’s existing three-K program, and say, no longer will a family in Flatbush be offered a seat, but have to find out that seat is in Astoria. We will add seats in the neighborhoods where demand has not been met. This will be felt by expanded subsidies for tens of thousands of additional families. It will be felt when parents look at their bank accounts at the end of the year, and see that they have saved more than $20,000 per child.” “And today, I’m proud to announce that New York State is paying the full cost to launch 2-care. For the first time — universal daycare for 2-year-olds, as proposed by Mayor Mamdani. We’re not just paying for one year of the program. We don’t usually go one year out in our budget, but just to let you know how serious we are, we’re taking the unprecedented step to not just commit for the 2027 budget, which I’m working on right now, but also the following year as well to show you we’re in this for the long haul.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan on Thursday to vastly expand free and low-cost child care for families across the state in the coming years and add programs for 2-year-olds.

By Meg Felling

January 8, 2026

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Boston, MA

Boston nightclub where woman suffered medical emergency and died has license reinstated

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Boston nightclub where woman suffered medical emergency and died has license reinstated


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After hearing testimony from club representatives and the loved ones of a woman who died there Dec. 21, regulators found no violations.

ICON, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, had its entertainment license reinstated at a hearing Thursday. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe

A Boston nightclub where a woman collapsed on the dance floor and died last month will have its entertainment license reinstated after the Boston Licensing Board found no violations Thursday.

Anastaiya Colon, 27, was at ICON, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, in the early hours of Dec. 21 when she suffered a fatal medical episode. Following the incident, her loved ones insisted that the club’s staff did not respond professionally and failed to control crowds.

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City regulators suspended ICON’s entertainment license pending an assessment of any potential violations. During a hearing Tuesday, they heard from attorneys representing the club and people who were with Colon the night she died.

Anastaiya Colon, 27, suffered a fatal medical episode Dec. 21 while at ICON.
Anastaiya Colon, 27, suffered a fatal medical episode Dec. 21 while at ICON. – GoFundMe

As EMTs attempted to respond, crowds inside the club failed to comply with demands to give them space, prompting police to shut down the club, according to a police report of the incident. However, the club and its representatives were adamant that staff handled their response and crowd control efforts properly.

Kevin Montgomery, the club’s head of security, testified that the crowd did not impede police or EMTs and that he waited to evacuate the club because doing so would have created a bottleneck at the entrance. Additionally, a bouncer and a bartender both testified that they interacted with Colon, who ordered one drink before collapsing, and did not see any signs of intoxication.

Angelica Morales, Colon’s sister, submitted a video taken on her phone to the board for them to review. Morales testified Tuesday that the video disproves some of the board’s claims and shows that ICON did not immediately respond to the emergency.

“I ran to the DJ booth, literally bombarded everybody that was in my way to get to the DJ booth, told them to cut the music off,” Morales said. “On my way back, the music was cut off for a minute or two, maybe less, and they cut the music back on.”

Shanice Monteiro, a friend who was with Colon and Morales, said she went outside to flag down police officers. She testified that their response, along with the crowd’s, was inadequate.

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“I struggled to get outside,” Monteiro said. “Once I got outside, everybody was still partying, there was no type of urgency. Nobody stopped.”

These factors, along with video evidence provided by ICON, did not substantiate any violations on the club’s part, prompting the licensing board to reinstate their entertainment license at a subsequent hearing Thursday.

“Based on the evidence presented at the hearing from the licensed premise and the spoken testimony and video evidence shared with us from Ms. Colon’s family, I’m not able to find a violation in this case,” Kathleen Joyce, the board’s chairwoman, said at the hearing.

However, Joyce further stated that she “was not able to resolve certain questions” about exactly when or why the club turned off the music or turned on the lights. As a result, the board will require ICON to submit an emergency management plan to prevent future incidents and put organized safety measures in place.

“This plan should outline detailed operational procedures in the event of a medical or any other emergency, including protocols for police and ambulance notification, crowd control and dispersal, and procedures regarding lighting and music during an emergency response,” Joyce said.

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Though the club will reopen without facing any violations, Joyce noted that there were “lessons left to be learned” from the incident.

“This tragedy has shaken the public confidence in nightlife in this area, and restoring that confidence is a shared obligation,” she said. “People should feel safe going out at night. They should feel safe going to a club in this area, and they should feel safe getting home.”

Keeana Saxon, one of three commissioners on the licensing board, further emphasized the distinction Joyce made between entertainment-related matters and those that pertained to licensing. Essentially, the deciding factor in the board’s decision was the separation of the club’s response from any accountability they may have had by serving Colon liquor.

“I hope that the family does understand that there are separate procedures for both the entertainment and the licensing, just to make sure that on the licensing side, that we understand that she was only served one drink and that it was absolutely unforeseeable for that one drink to then lead to some kind of emergency such as this one,” Saxon said.





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Pittsburg, PA

Jack McGregor, original founder of Pittsburgh Penguins, dies at 91

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Jack McGregor, original founder of Pittsburgh Penguins, dies at 91



Jack McGregor, a former state senator and the original founder of the Pittsburgh Penguins, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday. The organization announced the news in a post on social media on Thursday.

“The team extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time,” a post on X said. 

No other information was provided in the post, which was shared before the team’s game at PPG Paints Arena against the New Jersey Devils.  

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Pittsburgh Penguins original owner Jack McGregor drops a ceremonial puck between Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena on October 15, 2016 in Pittsburgh.

(Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)


According to his biography on the United States Senate Library, McGregor served in the state Senate from 1963-1970. He represented District 44 in Allegheny County and was a Republican. 

He was born in Kittanning, Armstrong County, and attended the University of Pittsburgh and Quinnipiac University before getting into politics, according to his biography. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.

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In 1966, the NHL granted a franchise to Pittsburgh after McGregor formed a group of investors that included H. J. Heinz II and Art Rooney. McGregor was named president and chief executive officer by the investors and represented Pittsburgh on the NHL’s Board of Governors, according to his biography. 

The team played its first game in 1967 at the Civic Arena. McGregor owned the team for four years before selling it. 

There is also a scholarship in his name at Pitt. It aims to provide “financial assistance to a law student who excels academically and has committed to working in the public sector,” the university says. 



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