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A look at some of the best semifinals this weekend. Class 8A: No. 2 Loyola at No. 1 Lincoln-Way East, 6 p.m. Saturday This game — a rematch of the last two Class 8A finals, both won by Loyola — is the one everyone has been waiting for since the brackets were announced. Loyola (10-2) wobbled a bit early with losses to East St. Louis and St. Francis in the first three weeks, but has won nine in a row mostly in dominant fashion. Two Iowa commits — quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald and running back Drew MacPherson — keep the Ramblers offense rolling, and Washington-bound Donovan Robinson leads a defense that has limited seven of its last opponents under 20 points. Lincoln-Way East (12-0) has a four-star quarterback in Jonas Williams, an Oregon commit and the state’s top-ranked junior. Running backs Zion Gist and Brody Gish are other proven offensive options for Lincoln-Way East (12-0) and Northwestern-bound edge rusher Caden O’Rourke leads an elite defense. Class 8A: No. 14 York at No. 4 Naperville Central, 6 p.m. Saturday Overshadowed by West Suburban Silver rivals Lyons and Downers Grove North in the regular season, York (10-2) is back in the semifinals for the third straight year thanks to one of the state’s best ground games. The Dukes have rushed 86 times for 747 yards (an 8.7 average) over the past two weeks with quarterback Bruno Massel (348 yards, seven touchdowns) leading the way. Backs Jimmy Conners and Henry Duda also are capable of 100-yard games. Naperville Central (11-1), the only team to hold a lead on Lincoln-Way East this season, has a well-balanced offense led by quarterback Sebastian Hayes, Indiana State-bound receiver DeShaun Williams and running back Aiden Clark. Class 7A: No. 3 Mount Carmel at No. 7 St. Rita, 3 p.m. Saturday It’s the 105th meeting in this South Side rivalry, which Mount Carmel (9-3) has dominated lately. The Caravan won 28-0 in Week 2, their sixth straight win in a series they lead 68-33 with three ties. Few players can impact a game like quarterback Jack Elliott, a Vanderbilt commit whose dual-threat capability makes the Caravan offense go. His targets include Cooper Lehman, who had a program-record 255 receiving yards against Nazareth, and freshman Marshaun Thornton. St. Rita (10-2) has playmakers of its own in running back Nick Herman, quarterback Steven Armbruster and two-way standout Justin Buckner. Class 6A: No. 5 Cary-Grove at No. 9 Geneva, 1 p.m. Saturday Cary-Grove (12-0) is looking for its fourth trip to the state finals — and fourth Class 6A title — since 2018. The Trojans lost star fullback Logan Abrams to a season-ending injury. But quarterback Peyton Seaburg and running back Holden Boone have kept a potent ground game chugging along for an offense that averages 43.5 points a game. Geneva (11-1) is in the semifinals for the first time since 2008 behind an explosive offense led by quarterback Tony Chahino (2,896 yards, 44 touchdowns), Georgia-bound receiver Talyn Taylor (65 catches, 1,302 yards, 22 TDs), receiver Finn Weppner (36 catches, 824 yards, 13 TDs) and running back Michael Rumoro (936 yards, 11 TDs). Class 5A: No. 8 St. Francis at No. 6 Nazareth, 1 p.m. Saturday This is the fourth meeting in 13 months for the west suburban rivals. St. Francis (10-2) won both regular-season games, but Nazareth (10-2) prevailed 38-31 in last year’s semifinals en route to its second straight Class 5A title and fourth state championship since 2018. Quarterback Brady Palmer and receiver Ian Willis are an effective pass-and-catch duo for St. Francis. Four-year starting quarterback Logan Malachuk, receiver Jake Cestone and running back Lesroy Tittle are some playmakers for Nazareth’s offense, while edge rusher Gabe Kaminski (Stanford) and defensive back Garrett Reese (Indiana) lead the defense.Scheifele notches hat trick as Jets top Maple Leafs 5-2 ahead of NHL's holiday break

MONTREAL, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stingray RAY RAY.B)), an industry leader in music and video content distribution, business services, and advertising solutions, today announced the acquisition of Loupe Art, a leading visual art streaming service on Smart TVs and Digital Signage. This strategic acquisition aims to expand Stingray's presence on Connected TVs and significantly enhance its offering for businesses, particularly in digital signage. Founded in 2016, Loupe Art's platform includes over 10,000 original artworks from more than 750 artists across 50 countries. It offers expertly curated art collections and themed episodes that combine visual art with music, providing an unparalleled ambient entertainment experience. Loupe Art reaches audiences worldwide through partnerships with major platforms such as Apple TV, Amazon, Google TV, Samsung, LG, Comcast, LocalNow, Freecast, WhaleTV+ and others. The acquisition will enable Stingray to leverage Loupe's patented technology and extensive content catalog to enhance its FAST channels on Connected TVs. It will also bolster Stingray Business by integrating Loupe's tailored art displays into its digital signage solutions, offering businesses a flexible and customized visual experience across their locations. "By integrating Loupe Art's groundbreaking platform with Stingray's extensive expertly curated music catalog and robust distribution network, we are poised to revolutionize the way art and music are experienced in homes and businesses worldwide," said Eric Boyko, President, Co-founder, and CEO of Stingray. "This acquisition not only broadens our content offerings but also strengthens our position as a leader in the digital media landscape." "Joining forces with Stingray opens up exciting new possibilities for Loupe," said Michele Tobin, CEO of Loupe Art. "We are eager to expand the reach of our artists' work, bringing their creative expressions to a broader audience through Stingray's impressive distribution channels. Together, we look forward to transforming how art is experienced in everyday life, enriching public and private spaces alike. " With this acquisition, Stingray continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and growth in the digital media sector. By combining Loupe Art's cutting-edge technology and rich artistic content with Stingray's extensive reach and expertise, the company is well-positioned to deliver enhanced value to its customers and partners globally. Stingray remains dedicated to providing exceptional entertainment experiences that seamlessly integrate art and music, enriching environments across both residential and commercial spaces. About Stingray Stingray RAY RAY.B)), a global music, media, and technology company, is an industry leader in TV broadcasting, streaming, radio, business services, and advertising. Stingray provides an array of global music, digital, and advertising services to enterprise brands worldwide, including audio and video channels, over 100 radio stations, subscription video-on-demand content, FAST channels, karaoke products and music apps, and in-car and on-board infotainment content. Stingray Business, a division of Stingray, provides commercial solutions in music, in-store advertising solutions, digital signage, and AI-driven consumer insights and feedback. Stingray Advertising is North America's largest retail audio advertising network, delivering digital audio messaging to more than 30,000 major retail locations. Stingray has close to 1000 employees worldwide and reaches 540 million consumers in 160 countries. For more information, visit www.stingray.com . About Loupe Art Loupe Art is an innovative patented streaming art platform that transforms connected TVs and digital signage into customized art galleries. Loupe expertly curates original artworks from a wide range of diverse global artists to deliver unique, immersive art experiences. Loupe for Business offers Public Art solutions ranging from remotely programmable art streams that reflect mood, daypart, season, style, color and brand attributes to bespoke curation services for Real Estate, Workplace, Hospitality and Healthcare customers. Loupe Art is available to consumers in-home on Samsung TV Plus, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV, LG, Comcast, LocalNow, Freecast and WhaleTV+. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information with respect to Stingray's goals, beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking information is identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "may", "would", "should", "could", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "plan", "foresee", "believe", and "continue", or the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions. Please note, however, that not all forward-looking information contains these terms and phrases. Forward-looking information is based upon a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Stingray's control. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk factors identified in Stingray's Annual Information Form for the year ended March 31, 2024, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Consequently, all of the forward-looking information contained herein is qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements, and there can be no guarantee that the results or developments that Stingray anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or effects on Stingray's business, financial condition or results of operation. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained herein is provided as of the date hereof, and Stingray does not undertake to update or amend such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Editor's note: When Brian Shedd of Ellijay announced on social media recently that he and fellow American Legion members in Georgia were going to make a special visit to Augusta, the writer of this article contacted him and made a request. When Brian Shedd visited the War Veterans Nursing Home in Augusta recently with fellow American Legion members with the idea of spreading Christmas cheer, he had no idea of the gift that awaited him. Shedd, who is the director of the American Legion Riders motorcycle enthusiasts of Post 82 in Ellijay, was asked to visit a friend of the writer. George Clarke, a career newspaperman who served as publisher of the Dalton Daily Citizen for many years, is 97 years old and has lived at the nursing home for several months now. Shedd said meeting Clarke was “like getting to see my grandpa again,” explaining his forebear had a ministry of visiting nursing homes and he sometimes tagged along. He elaborated on the reason for the visit. “Every year the American Legion, the Ladies Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion in Georgia go up there to Augusta,” he said. “The first day we go into the veterans hospital (Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center). We sit through about five or six hours of them going over what all they have accomplished through the year, the new technology they’re coming up with and the new prosthetics and robotics that they’re doing.” Shedd said a “really interesting” finding is in the field of gene pool therapy. “They’re trying to figure out why, say (as an example), you had got exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and had no effects whatsoever, and I got exposed to it and it was life-threatening and ended up killing me,” he said of the research. “We went through (the hospital) and toured the new parts of the facility, and the reason we do that is the American Legion, the Auxiliary and the Sons all go to Congress on the national level and lobby for more healthcare and benefits (for veterans). They want to show us why we’re raising the money to help them do what they do.” After the tour de force of the hospital on Friday two weeks ago, the Legion members went to the nursing home on Saturday. “We always go to the Blue Goose (the name for the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home because of its bright blue color) and visit with the people there,” Shedd related. “It’s a little more special to me because my grandfather had a ministry in Toccoa, Georgia. For almost 60 years he and another fellow went to the nursing home and the jail there and ministered to everybody, I had gotten used to doing that when I was a kid. He did that every Wednesday and every Saturday, and on Saturdays if I was able to go with him I went, too. We’d go visit everybody in the nursing home in all the rooms, then they’d end up congregating in the main dining hall and we would sing hymns and there was a couple of preachers that would come preach.” Shedd was asked to visit Clarke as a favor to the author of this article and his wife, Teresa, who are friends. “They took us into one of their main halls and I visited with about 40 different veterans, and we took bags of gifts in and handed them out and candies and things like that, just something to help them enjoy the holidays a little bit better,” he said. “Because a lot of the folks in there don’t have any family left. I found Mr. Clarke and said, ‘Mark Millican came here two or three months ago and visited with you,’ and he said he remembered and reached up and said, ‘He gave me this hat!’ and put it back on his head ... he’s still pretty spry. It’s so cool.” Shedd added, “He grabbed ahold of me and hugged me and said, ‘Thank you so much for coming from my home to visit me!’ It just tickled me, and I was so glad I could go visit with him because he’s special. It made my whole trip, it really did.” The American Legion posts around Augusta have taken a special interest in the hospital and nursing home there, he noted. “Two of the five posts in the area were coming to the nursing home every month, and would take a van full of the veterans over to the legions and serve them meals and play games with them, bingo and stuff,” explained Shedd. “And they loved to play bingo. Then when everybody got sick during COVID they couldn’t do that anymore. So the American Legion Riders got together and raised enough funds to buy a bingo light-up board — one of the big ones — and donated it to the Blue Goose so they would have it for them to play bingo when nobody could come visit them.” When told it sounded as if the visit to the veterans nursing home had made Christmas special for him, Shedd replied with emotion, “You just don’t know how much — it was like getting to see my grandpa again. It brought back some good memories. He lived to be 98 and was a World War II veteran, a radioman in the Philippines. And just getting to see somebody and have them say what he said about coming to see him from home, that really made his day — and mine, too.”The everyday JinnahAfghanistan Faces a Crisis of Brain Drain