Washington
Washington Commanders will replace criticized Sean Taylor installation with statue
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After facing widespread criticism over an installation meant to honor the late two-time Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor, the Washington Commanders have permanently removed it and announced plans to build a statue in its place.
“After careful consideration, we have decided as an organization to remove the Sean Taylor installation from Commanders Field,” a team spokesperson said Saturday in a statement. “We realize that the installation fell short in honoring one of our franchise’s most iconic players. Together with the Taylor family, we are working on a plan, which includes unveiling a statue that will rightfully celebrate the legacy and impact that Sean had on our organization, fanbase and community. The Washington Commanders are committed to honoring our legends in a first-class manner.”
The team also announced that Taylor’s daughter, Jackie, will have input in the design process of the statue. Jackie was 18 months old when her father was murdered at the age of 24 on Nov. 27, 2007, during an attempted home invasion.
The original installation was inaugurated in November 2022, during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. At the time, the team was under the ownership of Daniel Snyder, who became known for several blunders in team-fan relations against the backdrop of creating a toxic workplace culture that resulted in a $10 million fine by the NFL and allegations of sexual harassment.
In July 2023, however, the NFL owners approved the sale of the team to a group led by billionaire Josh Harris.
“I’m thankful to Josh Harris and the Commanders family for their continued commitment to keep my dad’s legacy alive,” Jackie Taylor said in the statement. “I look forward to sharing plans in the future and learning more about my dad through this process.”
The original installation that has since been removed was inaugurated on five day’s notice, and featured a mannequin-style structure that merely had a Washington jersey with Taylor’s No. 21 on it. The jersey, however, wasn’t even from the right era, as the NFL’s apparel partner at the time during Taylor’s playing days was Reebok, not Nike.
The statue that will replace the installation becomes the first statue in team history to honor a former player.
Taylor played in the NFL from 2004-07, all with Washington, earning Pro Bowl honors in his last two seasons. He finished with 305 tackles, 12 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one touchdown. The year after his death, Taylor was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.
Taylor wore the jersey No. 36 during his rookie season, but changed it to No. 21 the following year. The Commanders retired Taylor’s jersey in 2021, making him the fourth player in the team’s history to receive the honor.
Taylor was the fifth overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft, out of the University of Miami.
“I’m forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support from this special fan base,” Jackie Taylor said. “I’m filled with gratitude to know that my dad will forever be a part of the burgundy and gold family.”
Washington
Bellevue vs. Renton: Watch Washington boys high school basketball tilt live tonight
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Bellevue travels to Renton High School on Friday night for a nonleague matchup that pits two surging programs coming in on win streaks. The Wolverines (12-2) enter riding momentum from last season’s state quarterfinal appearance, while the Red Hawks (7-8) look to build consistency under head coach Rashaad Powell.
Head coach Warren King returns a deep senior class led by Jackson Skaggs, Max Harrity, Eduardo Molina, Kenny Shin, Trevin King and Nick Norrah. The Wolverines also feature junior Tayten Jones, giving them a balanced roster capable of competing with any team in the state.
The Red Hawks counter with their own weapons. Senior Isaac Elegan anchors the lineup, while junior scorer Sudan Luok provides offensive firepower. Junior co-captains Julius White-Kelly, Nick Jarvis and Jalen Taylor round out a core that has shown flashes this season.
Opening tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT on Friday, January 16 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.
• WATCH: Bellevue vs. Renton basketball is livestreaming on NFHS Network
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How to watch Bellevue vs. Renton basketball livestream
What: Wolverines, Red Hawks set for Friday night Showdown in Renton
When: Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT on Friday, January 16
Where: Renton High School | Renton, Washington
Watch live: Watch Bellevue vs. Renton live on the NFHS Network
Washington
National Guard troops to stay on Washington, DC, streets through 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — National Guard troops will be on the streets of Washington, D.C., until the end of the year, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.
The memo, signed by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and dated Wednesday, said “the conditions of the mission” warranted an extension past the end of next month to continue supporting President Donald Trump’s “ongoing efforts to restore law and order.”
Meanwhile, Trump said this month that for now he was dropping his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, which had provoked legal challenges. He also backed off a bit Friday from his threat a day earlier to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to quell protests in Minnesota.
In Washington, troops have been charged with patrolling the streets and picking up trash. Trump has asserted repeatedly that crime has vanished in the city.
Two National Guard troops from West Virginia that were part of the mission in D.C. were shot the day before Thanksgiving. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries.
The National Guard has about 2,400 troops in Washington, with about 700 from D.C. and the rest from 11 states with Republican governors, including Indiana, South Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma.
Washington
Skeletal remains that washed up on Washington beach identified as Oregon mayor who vanished 20 years ago
Skeletal remains that washed up on a Washington beach have been identified as those of a former Oregon mayor who vanished in 2006, ending a 20-year mystery with the help of genetic genealogy.
Edwin Asher, who previously was mayor of Fossil, Oregon, disappeared while he was crabbing in Tillamook Bay, on the northwest coast of Oregon, on Sept. 5, 2006, the Grays Harbor County coroner and Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy lab, said in news releases this week.
He was presumed to have drowned and was legally declared dead that same year, officials said.
In November 2006, skeletal remains washed ashore in Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington, the coroner’s office said.
Taholah is about 124 miles north of Tillamook Bay.
The local sheriff’s and coroner’s offices responded and collected evidence.
It was determined the remains were those of a man estimated to 20 to 60 years old or older, 5 feet, 9 inches tall and an estimated 170 to 180 pounds.
However, the man was never identified, and he became known as the “Grays Harbor County John Doe (2006).”
Last year, the Grays Harbor Coroner’s Office and the King County medical examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram to try to identify John Doe.
Scientists used genome sequencing to build a DNA profile for the man and genetic genealogy search to develop “new investigative leads.”
Investigators were led to potential relatives of the man, and reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared with those of John Doe.
Finally, it led to a positive identification: Grays Harbor John Doe was Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher, born April 2, 1934.
He was 72 when he died.
Asher was born in Salem and raised in Astoria, and in 1952 he moved to Fossil, where he was a lineman technician for the Fossil Telephone Co. until he retired in 1995, according to his obituary. He also opened his own shop, Asher’s Variety Store, in 1965.
He loved antique cars, fishing and boating, the obituary said.
He had served as mayor and also volunteered as a local fireman and ambulance driver.
He was survived by his wife of over 20 years, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. NBC News has reached out to the city of Fossil for comment.
Forensic genetic genealogy has grown in popularity in recent years and has helped solve decades-old cold cases.
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