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999jili OTTAWA — The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on all members of Parliament to send a First Nations water bill to the Senate before the holiday break, saying the water crisis demands urgent action. “This legislation reflects years of advocacy by First Nations and marks a milestone in a decades-long fight for adequate water and wastewater in First Nations across Canada,” Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak wrote in an open letter to MPs. “We cannot afford further delays to this legislation or missed opportunities while First Nations continue to live without access to safe and clean water. Bill C-61 must advance now, not next year. We urge all members of Parliament, across all party lines, to act.” The government legislation known as Bill C-61 recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water and commits the government to provide adequate and sustainable funding for water services in First Nations. The House of Commons has been gridlocked since late September because of an ongoing privilege debate that centres on a request for the Liberals to hand over to Parliament and the RCMP unredacted documents about misspending at a now-defunct green tech fund. That has taken precedence over nearly all other government business, and the water bill is awaiting a final vote in the House of Commons. Last week, Liberal MP Jaime Battiste, who is Mi’kmaq from Eskasoni First Nation, asked for unanimous consent from MPs to adopt the bill and send it to Senate. But several Conservative MPs said no. The Conservatives then introduced a unanimous consent motion of their own that also asked MPs to condemn the Liberals for their inaction on the file. That, too, was voted down. Chiefs who gathered with Battiste and Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu last week expressed their disappointment with the bill not moving forward, and accused Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer of using the bill as a political tactic. “I’m very disappointed that he used clean drinking water as a tactic in this House in order to say, ‘If you do this, then we will do this,’ where there’s real lives that are being affected,” Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin told reporters at a news conference. “We’re not talking about toys, we’re not talking about items that are not essential, but water is essential and you either believe in clean drinking water for everybody or you don’t. And if you do, you do everything you possibly can to work toward that happening.” There are 31 long-term boil water advisories on First Nations across the country, and 36 short-term advisories, government data shows. In a statement last week, Scheer said the Liberals shut down his motion because they would like to avoid “proper debate” on the legislation. “Liberal MPs should be outraged with themselves. They could properly debate this legislation today if they stopped their cover up of their $400 million green slush fund scandal by providing the documents to the RCMP as ordered by Parliament,” Scheer said. Since Bill C-61 was introduced nearly a year ago it has been subject to debate in the House of Commons, studied at committee and had amendments tacked on. At the Assembly of First Nations gathering last week, the AFN executive passed a resolution to continue advocating for the bill’s approval. Hajdu and Woodhouse Nepinak stood together in October making a similar push for the bill to move forward, with Hajdu blaming the Conservatives for delays. Scheer, in response, pointed back to that privilege debate and said the House can resume its work once the Liberals hand over the documents. It’s unclear whether the Liberals will attempt a unanimous consent motion again before the holidays. They are expected to introduce the fall economic statement on Monday, and the House of Commons is set to rise on Tuesday for a break that last until Jan. 27. In her letter to MPs, Woodhouse Nepinak said advancing the bill before then will demonstrate Canada’s commitment to upholding its responsibilities. “Support and prioritize the advancement of Bill C-61, refer it to the Senate, and take this necessary step toward ensuring every First Nation has access to the clean and safe drinking water, as it is their basic human right,” she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. — With files from David Baxter Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian PressIf you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above. ← Back FENTON, Mo. – The Farmington girls basketball team sank 7-of-10 free throws in overtime to beat Lindbergh 49-45 on Monday in the first round of the Rockwood Summit Tournament. The Knights wasted an eight-point advantage with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, but stayed ahead after freshman Lila Roth sealed a defender for the first field goal of the extra session. Kate Jenkerson and Madison Mills added perfect trips to the line, and Farmington (7-2) captured its sixth consecutive win while advancing to face top seed Francis Howell on Friday. A runner in the lane by Jenkerson and corner 3-pointer by Mills helped restore a 40-32 lead. But the Flyers erased the entire thing within a span of 53 seconds. Piper Wilmot scored on an entry pass, and Lindbergh (4-4) stole two errant passes before pulling even at 40-40 on 3-pointers by Kate Ritter and Claudia Hanson. The teams traded offensive fouls and missed shots over the last four possessions of the fourth quarter, and the Knights had a 9-5 scoring edge in overtime. Roth finished with 11 points and six rebounds, and fellow freshman Madison Clay provided a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and two assists for Farmington. Clay collected her own miss for a putback, and the Knights carried a 12-5 lead through one quarter. Kenzie Tucker made 2-for-3 free throws just before the second expired for a 22-14 margin. Lindbergh withstood a ragged first half with 17 turnovers, and committed only one during the third period while modestly chipping away. M.J. Abercrombie countered a Roth basket with a runner, and sparked an 11-2 surge. Kate Ritter turned a steal into a transition 3-point play that propelled the Flyers ahead 27-26. Ella Scott regained the lead for Farmington at the line, and Clay extended it on a putback. But a triple at the buzzer by Josephine Mullins kept Lindbergh within 32-30. Jenkerson finished with nine points and three steals, while Mills compiled eight points, six rebounds and a game-high five steals in the victory. Ritter paced all players with 15 points. Olivia Heggemeier grabbed six rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter, and equaled Mullins with nine points each for Lindbergh. The Flyers totaled 25 turnovers compared to 23 by the Knights. Francis Howell defeated Liberty (Wentzville) 64-43 in other first-round action.

Anne showed off a glamorous new look Anne Hegerty, better known as The Governess on ITV's quiz show The Chase, recently made a striking appearance in the show's festive special, stunning fans with a glamorous transformation. Known for her stern persona and distinctive grey suit, Hegerty swapped her usual look for dazzling sequins and sparkle, joining host Bradley Walsh and competing against McFly drummer Harry Judd in a Christmas charity special aimed at raising funds for various causes. Fans were quick to comment on her new look. On the social media platform X, one viewer wrote: "Anne looking gorgeous". Another fan celebrated her style update, posting: "Finally, they get @anne_hegerty out of that... Frankie Collins'Nicest dinner ever' is comforting twist on pie and mash - perfect for winter

Oregon and Ohio State already have produced one heck of a game this season. Now, the top-seeded Ducks (13-0) and No. 8 Buckeyes (11-2) are gearing up for a rematch more than 10 weeks later in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Of course, both teams have had ample time for evolution since that 32-31 Oregon win Oct. 12. But they also have that game and players’ familiarity with each other, not to mention common opponents in the Big Ten. “Sometimes when you’re playing against a team maybe from another conference in the playoffs, there’s a little bit of an unknown — how can you expect this guy to play?” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Monday. “What am I really looking at when I look at the teams they’re playing? “This team’s not that way because we played them already, and they played in the conference. So there’s again a reference point as we move into this one. So our guys know what they’re up against, but they also know that they’ve evolved and we’ve evolved, and so two very different teams heading into this game. And the team who prepares the best is going to win.” Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist, passed for 341 yards and ran for a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the first meeting. Then, Atticus Sappington made the winning 19-yard field goal in the final two minutes. The then-No. 2 Buckeyes were the highest-ranked opponent Oregon beat during the regular season. After the Oregon fans’ field-storming celebration, Ducks coach Dan Lanning quipped: “Anyone have a heart-rate monitor?” Now, the questions include: Will they need one for this game? Or will it fail to provide the same thrills? Ohio State opened the playoffs with a 42-17 win over Tennessee on Saturday night. “I think you could probably argue that Ohio State’s best game was the game they just played,” Lanning said. “So it’s important at this point in the year that you’re playing really good football. Sometimes you don’t know that until you step on the field. “That’s your job as a coach to get you ready for those moments, get our players ready for those moments, but certainly hope that we put our best foot forward when we play in this Rose Bowl.” Lanning and the Ducks also played Washington twice last season, losing both by a field goal — 36-33 on Oct. 14 and 34-31 in the Pac-12 championship game Dec. 1. He isn’t about to tip his hand about what adjustments the Ducks might make or prepare for, but joked: “Yeah, we’re going to do the exact same thing, right, every play, first call.” “I won’t really get into the differences, but they’re a really good team,” Lanning said. “I don’t know if there’s a more talented team in the nation.” And by the time these two teams play again, 81 days will have passed from Round 1. Game plans figure to change, with plenty of tweaks on offense and defense along the way. “They’ve changed, and they’re much more multiple in what they do,” Day said of the Ducks. “So you combine all those things together, and you put the game plan in. And then you throw some things out. You add some things that you think might fit. “At the end of the day, you only have to pack what you need, and you’ve got to make sure that it’s clean and it’s a plan that the guys can go execute with a lot of confidence. That’s what we’re in the middle of right now.”JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A four-goal second period provided enough offensive momentum to propel the Danbury Hat Tricks to a 6-1 victory over the Johnstown Tomahawks at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial Saturday night. The Hat Tricks tallied four markers in a span of 7:11, giving Danbury an insurmountable lead and earning the series split with the Tomahawks in front of 2,089 fans. “That was definitely the difference in the game,” Johnstown coach Jared Kersner said. “I don’t attribute it to a lack of energy or effort. We just had seven bad minutes when we let those goals up, and unfortunately, we just couldn’t stop the bleeding. It’s very hard to come back from being down four.” Danbury was able to capitalize on two costly turnovers by Johnstown to jump in front. Isaac Mitchell swiped the puck in the Tomahawks zone before firing a shot that hit the left post and went into the net for the Hat Tricks’ first tally, just 42 seconds into the second period. Danbury then recorded a takeaway behind the Tomahawks net, as Kai Elkie finished off a one-time pass from Niko Tournas at 2:14. “Those were big turnovers that led to their goals,” Kersner said. “We’ve got to be stronger on the way out. I thought we broke the puck out well over the weekend, but turnovers are dangerous.” Ameen Ghosheh and Alexis Billequey each scored to increase Danbury’s lead to 4-0 at 7:53, which led to an early exit for Tomahawks goaltender Zack Ferris. Hank Reed got the Tomahawks on the board with his fourth goal of the season at 14:48 of the second. Johnstown outshot Danbury 8-4 in the first period, but was doubled up by the Hat Tricks 16-8 in the second. Danbury set the final with a pair of goals in the third frame, as Ryan Lukko and Luke Golisano both tallied markers, with Lukko’s coming on an empty net. Nick Avakyan stopped 18 of 19 Hat Tricks shots after entering for Ferris. Danbury goaltender Tyler Spokane made 27 saves on 28 Johnstown shot attempts. “Credit goes to their goalie,” Kersner said. “He made a lot of big saves at key times, especially when we were trying to push to get back into the game. Sometimes the game just doesn’t go your way, and that’s what happened tonight.” Despite the loss, Johnstown (15-14-2) still holds the fifth-place spot in the East Division standings, five points behind Maine for fourth. The Tomahawks host Northeast next for a pair of games Dec. 30 and 31. “I’m very proud of this group and how they got to this point, now being more than halfway through the season, from where they started,” Kersner said. “We’ve played ourselves into a good position. The guys can enjoy the break and get back to work. This division is tight, so every game is important going forward.” (c)2024 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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