GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Cooper Bowser scored 16 points as Furman beat South Carolina State 68-64 on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Cooper Bowser scored 16 points as Furman beat South Carolina State 68-64 on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Cooper Bowser scored 16 points as Furman beat South Carolina State 68-64 on Saturday. A jumper from Tom House gave Furman a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds remaining and the Paladins closed out the win by going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Bowser added three steals and four blocks for the Paladins (10-1). Eddrin Bronson scored 11 points while going 3 of 8 from the floor, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and 3 for 4 from the line. Nick Anderson had 11 points and shot 3 for 9 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Drayton Jones led the Bulldogs (5-7) in scoring, finishing with 15 points. Omar Croskey added 13 points for South Carolina State. Davion Everett also had 12 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. AdvertisementIn 2023, East Central University announced the launch of a campaign that would see the construction of a new STEM Center on the ECU campus that would also house the ECU Nursing Program. The groundbreaking for this new state-of-the-art facility was over the summer with representatives from the State of Oklahoma, City of Ada, Valley View Foundation and Chickasaw Nation in attendance. ECU is pleased to announce that this newest addition to the university’s campus will be named in honor of Chickasaw citizen Dan Hays. “We are pleased East Central University is honoring Chickasaw citizen Dan Hays, whose generosity and vision of the future has had a powerful impact on education throughout the Ada area, the Chickasaw Nation and beyond,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “It is fitting that ECU’s new STEM center should bear the Hays name as a tribute and testament to his commitment to lifelong learning and education.” Hays, who possessed an allotment of 320 acres of land across what is now Ada, recognized the significance of establishing what was then named East Central State Normal School in the region. Following approval for the normal school by Gov. Charles N. Haskell in 1909, Hays quickly stepped forward to donate 16 acres of his land, his only stipulation being that he be allowed to remain in his home, which was also located on the 16-acre allotment. The chosen acreage, allotted by Hays, allowed for ECU’s first building, Science Hall, to be constructed at the end of Ada’s Main Street. An article featured in the May 6, 1909, edition of the Ada Evening News reported by Col. E.H. Lucas stated, “The acceptance of the proposed site will mean that the normal school would be located in that magnificent location, avenue style, at the end of East Main Street. From this point, the view could not be more excellent. To stand in the center of the business section of Main Street and look at the point proposed for the location on the east side must bring from anyone an involuntary expression of approval, for it is the prettiest site I ever saw.” Construction quickly began and the students of East Central Normal School were blessed to begin their second year of classes in their very own building by the fall semester of 1910, thanks to the generous donation of Dan Hays. In honor of Hays significant contribution and the longstanding relationship that it helped forge between ECU and the Chickasaw Nation, ECU President Wendell Godwin has announced that the university’s newest addition will be named in honor of Hays himself. “We are proud to embrace the Native American legacy on our campus, and this is an excellent way to memorialize the original gift from the Hays family,” said Godwin. “The Chickasaw Nation has been a driving force in the region’s educational successes for decades. East Central University is excited to highlight the native theme and décor that will be illustrated throughout the Dan Hays STEM Center to further demonstrate our appreciation. Our community is excited to watch the construction over the next 18 months.” Among the highlights of this two-floor facility is a simulation center, more than 25 hands-on learning labs and STEM classrooms equipped with the latest technology to benefit both STEM and Nursing students. The construction of this new building and the expansion of the nursing program are expected to generate a 200% increase in nursing graduates from ECU. Historically, 84% of nursing graduates stay in Oklahoma five years after graduation and 75% of students are accepted into medical school. Nursing, Math and Computer Science are some of the university’s largest and fastest-growing degree programs. The average pass rate for the ECU School of Nursing on the registered nurses NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is 97% while the national average is 82%. This expansion will allow ECU to recruit a number of new staff and faculty as well as more than 200 new nursing students to the university and community. The new facility will serve to reaffirm ECU’s commitment to educating students and transforming students’ lives for generations to come.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said he also wanted to tell Nikita Hand, a hair colourist from Drimnagh, that her case had prompted an increase in women coming forward to ask for support. Ms Hand, who accused the sportsman of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, won her claim against him for damages in a civil case at the High Court in the Irish capital on Friday. The total amount of damages awarded to Ms Hand by the jury was 248,603.60 euro (£206,714.31). Mr McGregor said in a post on social media on Friday that he intends to appeal against the decision. That post has since been deleted. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Mr Harris said he told Ms Hand of the support she has from people across Ireland. “I spoke with Nikita today and I wanted to thank her for her incredible bravery and her courage,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that she knew how much solidarity and support there was across this country for her bravery. “I also wanted to make sure she knew of what the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had said yesterday – that so many other women have now come forward in relation to their own experiences of sexual abuse as a result of Nikita’s bravery.” The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the case has had a “profound effect” on the people the charity supports, and that over the first 10 days of the High Court case, calls to its national helpline increased by almost 20%. It said that first-time callers increased by 50% compared to the same period last year, and were largely from people who had experienced sexual violence who were distressed and anxious from the details of case and the views people had to it. Mr Harris said: “I wanted to speak with her and I wanted to wish her and her daughter, Freya, all the very best night, and I was very grateful to talk with Nikita today. “Her bravery, her courage, her voice has made a real difference in a country in which we must continue to work to get to zero tolerance when it comes to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. “I don’t want to say too much more, because conscious there could be further legal processes, but I absolutely want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her courage, for using her voice.” Justice Minister Helen McEntee praised Ms Hand’s bravery and said she had shown “there is light at the end of the tunnel”. She said: “I just want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her determination and the leadership that she has shown in what has been – I’ve no doubt – a very, very difficult time for her and indeed, for her family. She added: “Because of wonderful people like Nikita, I hope that it shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there are supports available to people, and that there is justice at the end of the day.” Ms Hand said in a statement outside court on Friday that she hoped her case would remind victims of assault to keep “pushing forward for justice”. Describing the past six years as “a nightmare”, she said: “I want to show (my daughter) Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” During the case, Ms Hand said she was “disappointed and upset” when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided not to prosecute the case after she made a complaint to the Irish police. In a letter to her in August 2020, the DPP said there was “insufficient evidence” and there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction. Ms Hand asked the DPP to review the decision, saying she felt she was being treated differently because one of the suspects was famous. Asked about the DPP’s decision not to prosecute, Mr Harris and Ms McEntee stressed the importance of the DPP’s independence on whether to prosecute. “There are obviously structures in place where the DPP can meet a victim and can outline to them their reasons for not taking the case,” Mr Harris said. “But there’s also always an opportunity for the DPP in any situation – and I speak broadly in relation to this – to review a decision, to consider any new information that may come to light, and I don’t want to say anything that may ever cut across the ongoing work of the DPP.” Ms McEntee stressed that there should “never be any political interference” in the independence of the DPP’s decisions. “I have, since becoming minister, given priority to and enabled a new office within the DPP to open specifically focused on sexual offences, so that this issue can be given the focus and the priority that it needs,” she said.AI infrastructure companies took off in 2024 as investors put their money in the picks and shovels. Goldman Sachs believes companies using AI to boost revenues will be next to take off in 2025. Here are 11 companies that are realizing revenue gains from the technology. This year, the AI story has dominated the stock market. Just seven stocks have fueled much of the market's rally: Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Magnificent Seven have returned 148% since the end of 2022, drastically outperforming the 55% return for the rest of the S&P 500 index over that time. These tech behemoths have seen their earnings turbocharged by their market dominance in sectors such as cloud computing, software, and semiconductors. AI infrastructure stocks have also started to take off. Data-center stocks like Vertiv and Digital Realty have soared as the demand to build out AI capacity has risen. But now, so-called "Phase 3" AI stocks, which are rolling out the technology to increase their revenues, are set to shine, according to Goldman Sachs. 2025 will be the year of transition from investing in AI infrastructure to AI beneficiaries, Goldman's Chief US Equity Strategist David Kostin said. Two years after the debut of ChatGPT, more and more revenue-generating use cases for AI are emerging. "While Phase 2 stocks may continue to outperform the broad equity market, we expect returns will be earnings-driven and the risk/reward for new capital appears more attractive within Phase 3," Kostin and his team wrote in a recent note. Move over, Magnificent Seven After an incredible two-year rally, it's may be difficult to see the Magnificent Seven cooling off. The stocks have shown impressive earnings growth in the last year and have come to dominate the market, making up about 30% of the S&P 500 by market cap. However, the growth that placed them there isn't sustainable for the long term, Kostin said. That's not to say that the Magnificent Seven aren't solid companies. Goldman still expects them to outperform the rest of the index in 2025, but the bank is expecting them to do so by only 7%. For context, the Magnificent Seven outperformed the rest of the S&P 500 by 22% so far this year and 63% in 2023. Valuations for the market's biggest performers are overripe: the Magnificent Seven trade at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 30x, while the rest of the index trades at a modest 19x. That's where the AI Phase 3 trade comes in. These companies, whose revenues and earnings are set to get a boost from AI implementation, are valued much more reasonably, with the typical Phase 3 company trading at only 0.1 standard deviations more expensive than average, compared to 0.5 for Phase 2. Valuations for Phase 3 stocks are depressed due to a recent decreased enthusiasm for AI, as some market experts have been questioning if AI is a trillion-dollar bubble ready to pop, according to Goldman Sachs. Lower expectations for Phase 3 stocks isn't necessarily a bad thing, though — it makes it easier for these companies to beat investor expectations and increase their share price. On the other hand, expectations for Nvidia have risen so high that the stock still fell in after-hours trading in the wake of consensus-beating Q3 revenue performance. "The share price performance of the companies in the infrastructure basket has dramatically outpaced their trajectory of earnings growth," Kostin said of Phase 2 companies. On the other hand, companies in the AI-enabled revenue group have seen share price growth in line with earnings growth. "And so our analysis is there's potential for multiple expansion in those stocks," Kostin added. To find companies likely to see enhanced revenues from AI, Goldman Sachs analyzed recent messaging from company management regarding AI rollout. The bank identified the following 11 companies adopting AI to enhance their revenues as well as recent commentary from Q3 earnings calls indicating increased AI usage.

Irish premier praises Dublin woman who won civil case against Conor McGregor

Housing inventory in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro is up. However, nearly 30% of the available housing units are new construction and not existing properties. Of the 289 active listings in October in the SAW region, roughly 27% are new construction, according to Rick Kane, president of Westhills Ltd. Realtors in Fishersville. A closer look reveals that almost all the new construction in the area is townhouses and not the three-bedroom houses more suitable for larger families, the sort of long-term, stable households the region is trying to attract. “I would like to see a lot more three-bedroom houses,” Kane said. Of the more than 200 existing houses available for resale in the area, most of them are more than 25 years old. “The majority were built from the 1950s to the 1990s,” Kane said. New housing is being built in Waynesboro, but it is primarily townhouses and not single-family residences. Still, the 212 properties for purchase represent a stark increase from earlier this year when fewer than 100 were available. The development of single-family detached residences in the area will happen when developers decide it is worth taking the risk. According to Kane, the potential outcomes are simple: If sales are made, the developer makes money; if not, the developer will go under. According to the October 2024 Virginia Home Sales Report released by Virginia Realtors, there was a rise in closed sales activity in October in Virginia’s housing market. Kane has reason for optimism about housing in the area, pointing to the recent approval of a townhouse complex on King Avenue in Waynesboro. The project will provide four units, each costing just more than $200,000. The Virginia Land Trust purchased the land, and the units must each be sold to households with an annual income of just under $72,000. Kane calls the affordable units a step in the right direction. A further cause for optimism is the Waynesboro City Council’s consideration of opening the city to affordable cottage housing. Cottage housing typically means smaller single-family residences clustered together around common areas. The properties are marketed to young professionals, couples with small children and empty nesters. An influx of sales of Virginia residential real estate was driven by a jump in pending sales in September, when mortgage rates were falling into the low 6% range. Statewide, there were 9,408 closed sales in October, 968 more than a year ago, a 12.5% increase. Leslie Tate, Waynesboro’s director of community development, told Council on Nov. 13 that the proposal calls for units with a maximum size of 1,200 square feet. Units that include porches, decks and patios can be up to 1,700 square feet. This type of housing works for the area’s household size. A recent regional housing study found that two-thirds of the area’s households do not exceed two people. Waynesboro City Council is expected to hold a public hearing on a draft cottage housing ordinance in 2025. Inventory of homes is up across Virginia, according to a report released Friday by Virginia Realtors. The report says that there were 20,042 active listings across the commonwealth at the end of October, 16% more than a year ago and the first time that active listings had topped 20,000 in four years. Bob Stuart (540) 932-3562 rstuart@newsvirginian.com @oldyankee53 on Twitter Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. News Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Seagate Technology Holdings plc ( NASDAQ:STX – Free Report ) by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,853 shares of the data storage provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,227 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Seagate Technology were worth $2,832,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in STX. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Seagate Technology by 6.2% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 70,117 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $7,680,000 after acquiring an additional 4,094 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC bought a new position in shares of Seagate Technology during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,598,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Seagate Technology by 6.8% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 3,274 shares of the data storage provider’s stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Seagate Technology by 14.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 30,578 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $3,349,000 after purchasing an additional 3,848 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ING Groep NV lifted its position in shares of Seagate Technology by 10.0% in the third quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 19,785 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $2,167,000 after buying an additional 1,805 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.87% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In other news, Director Yolanda Lee Conyers sold 750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.10, for a total transaction of $72,075.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $291,567.40. This trade represents a 19.82 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, EVP Ban Seng Teh sold 4,872 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $535,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,969 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,096,590. This trade represents a 32.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 201,820 shares of company stock worth $21,892,856. Company insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock. Seagate Technology Price Performance Seagate Technology ( NASDAQ:STX – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The data storage provider reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.28. Seagate Technology had a net margin of 11.34% and a negative return on equity of 32.19%. The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.34) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 49.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Seagate Technology Holdings plc will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Seagate Technology Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 6th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. This is an increase from Seagate Technology’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.89%. Seagate Technology’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.11%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have issued reports on STX shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Seagate Technology from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Northland Securities upped their price target on shares of Seagate Technology from $142.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of Seagate Technology in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Seagate Technology from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on Seagate Technology from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $118.83. View Our Latest Report on Seagate Technology Seagate Technology Profile ( Free Report ) Seagate Technology Holdings plc provides data storage technology and solutions in Singapore, the United States, the Netherlands, and internationally. It provides mass capacity storage products, including enterprise nearline hard disk drives (HDDs), enterprise nearline solid state drives (SSDs), enterprise nearline systems, video and image HDDs, and network-attached storage drives. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Seagate Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Seagate Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Derek Robertson throws for school-record 536 yards and Monmouth surprises Stony Brook 55-47