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Scholarship to honor Embry-Riddle track star

DAYTONA TIMES — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Allegiant Travel Company have announced the Howard Walls, Jr. Track and Field Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, commemorating the achievements, aviation career and legacy of the Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Famer and All-American track star has been endowed via a unique funding partnership between Walls’ teammates, family and colleagues, as well as a corporate contribution from Allegiant in support of future aviation professionals.

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Howard Walls Jr. (Center), an Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Famer, died last year. (Photo by: daytonatimes.com)

By The Daytona Times

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Allegiant Travel Company have announced the Howard Walls, Jr. Track and Field Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship, commemorating the achievements, aviation career and legacy of the Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Famer and All-American track star has been endowed via a unique funding partnership between Walls’ teammates, family and colleagues, as well as a corporate contribution from Allegiant in support of future aviation professionals.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to an outstanding track athlete whose goal is to pursue a career in the aviation industry.

National honors

Walls competed for Embry-Riddle’s track and field team from 2005 – 2010 and was inducted into the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame on Jan. 19, 2019.

Howard Walls, Jr.

Howard Walls, Jr.

In his freshman campaign, he became the first Embry-Riddle Men’s Track and Field student-athlete to earn All-America honors with his fifth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at the NAIA Indoor National Championships.

He repeated as an All-American in that event in 2008 and 2009, setting the Embry-Riddle record of 8.08 in a third-place finish in his senior year.

Walls also achieved All-America status in the 110m hurdles after finishing fifth at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in 2010. He set a school record in the 110-meter hurdles of 14.11 in 2008 and that mark still stands as an Embry-Riddle best.

Died last year

His studies at Embry-Riddle also brought about a successful career in the aviation industry, where he rose to become Allegiant’s director of quality, compliance and safety for station operations.

His life was tragically cut short by a motorcycle accident in 2018.

The idea of celebrating Walls’ achievements and legacy through a scholarship started with his former teammates at Embry-Riddle, including Chris Harter, who spearheaded an initial crowdfunding campaign which started in April.

A modest initial goal of $3,000 was met within 48 hours of the campaign launch, and quickly spread to friends, family and professional colleagues at Allegiant.

“Howard was somebody everybody liked, but not because he was a great athlete, but because he was a great person,” Harter said.

“He motivated and encouraged every teammate he was around and every athlete he coached. Former teammates and I feel that Howard’s name is one the track program should hear on a daily basis because he possessed the qualities of an All-American on and off the track.”

Allegiant’s contribution

Through the company’s corporate giving priority of supporting STEM education and access to careers in aviation, Allegiant contributed $10,000 to the growing fund, helping to fully endow this special scholarsh.

“We were incredibly moved by the university’s campaign to establish a scholarship in Howard’s name, and we are thrilled to be able to help ensure that his memory and achievements inspire and help others realize their own dreams of careers in aviation,” said Hilarie Grey, Allegiant’s managing director of corporate communications.

With Allegiant’s support, the campaign to date has created both a term scholarship and an endowed memorial scholarship in Walls’ honor with donations totaling over $28,000.

“We have been blown away by the outpouring of support from Howard’s teammates, friends, coworkers, and family since this campaign started,” said Matt Wilson, senior director of development for Embry-Riddle Athletics.

“This campaign is a small representation of the impact Howard had on so many people throughout his life. The endowed memorial scholarship will help ensure Howard’s legacy lives on in the future generations of Embry-Riddle Track & Field student-athletes and our Athletics program.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, a student-athlete must be a full-time graduate or undergraduate student at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus with a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA pursuing a career in aviation, and be a current member of the Embry-Riddle men’s or women’s track and field team.

University involvement

After exhausting his eligibility at Embry-Riddle, Walls remained involved with the university’s Track & Field program as a graduate assistant coach, working primarily with the hurdlers.

He helped Breanna Goring, Alex Dori and Crystal Bardge hit national championship qualifying marks, and played a role in Bardge winning national titles in both the indoor 60-meter hurdles and the 100-meter outdoor hurdles.

Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Walls earned his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Science in 2010 and completed his master’s degree in Aviation in 2012. An announcement regarding the first recipient of the new scholarship is expected later this fall.

This article originally appeared in the Daytona Times.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

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The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.


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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

 

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