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The Doobie Brothers have announced an extension of their 50th Anniversary Tour, with an extensive new set of 35 dates to roll across the US between June and October.

The new dates will go on general sale from this Friday (March 3) at 10am local time, with the exception of a handful of shows (see below) for which the on-sale is March 10. The schedule is in addition to previously-announced concerts in May in Kahului and Honolulu, HI; Hollywood and St. Petersburg, FL; and Concord, NC. Before the new US shows, the Doobies will take the anniversary tour to Australia, Japan and Singapore.

The tour, which followed the release of 2021’s Liberté album, has seen Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons, and John McFee on the road together for the first time in more than 25 years. “We are thrilled to be back on the road in 2023 playing some cities we haven’t gotten to yet on this tour,” said Johnston. A limited number of VIP packages for the dates will also be available, with details at LiveNation.com.

The tour will give countless more fans the chance to relive the band’s unique catalog which boasts five Top 10 US singles, 16 Top 40 hits, three multi-platinum albums, seven platinum albums, and 14 gold albums. Their total album sales worldwide stand at close to 50 million albums worldwide.

Buy or stream the Doobie Brothers’ Liberté album.

The extended tour dates are as follows:

June 9, 2023 *^ Sparks, NV Nugget Event Center June 11, 2023 West Valley, UT Maverik Center June 14, 2023 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre June 15, 2023 Springfield, MO Great Southern Bank Arena June 17, 2022 Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center June 18, 2023 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena June 20, 2023 Duluth, MN AMSOIL Arena June 21, 2023 Madison, WI Breese Stevens Field June 23, 2023 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial Coliseum June 24, 2023 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center June 26, 2023^ Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center at The Heights June 28, 2023 Youngstown, OH The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre June 30, 2023 Pikeville, KY Appalachian Wireless Arena July 1, 2023 Louisville, KY The Palace Theatre July 3, 2023 Portsmouth, VA Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion July 6, 2023^ Reading, PA Santander Performing Arts Center July 8, 2023 *^ New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre New Jersey July 9, 2023 *^ New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre New Jersey July 11, 2023 *^ Morristown, NJ Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) July 12, 2023 *^ Morristown, NJ Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) Aug 18, 2023^ Waite Park, MN The Ledge Amphitheater Aug 20, 2023^ Lincoln, NE Pinewood Bowl Theater Aug 23, 2023^ Camdenton, MO Ozarks Amphitheatre Aug 26, 2023 Brandon, MS Brandon Amphitheater Aug 28, 2023 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum Aug 30, 2023 Huntsville, AL The Orion Amphitheater Aug 31, 2023 Franklin, TN FirstBank Amphitheater Sept 2, 2023 Macon, GA Macon Centreplex Sept 3, 2023 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena Sept 6, 2023 Simpsonville, SC CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park Sept 7, 2023 Greensboro, NC White Oak Amphitheatre Sept 9, 2023 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium Oct 4, 2023 * Washington, DC MGM National Harbor Oct 6, 2023 * Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena Oct 8, 2023 Atlantic City, NJ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

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Baseball is back with the return of spring training, and this week our hosts talk with Paul Gross, a recently retired broadcast meteorologist who is a weather consultant for the Detroit Tigers. They discuss how weather impacts baseball, from lightning safety rules to the precise timing of a rain forecast, including a dramatic situation in a game between the Tigers and Red Sox. Paul also shared a unique story from his consulting during the 2005 MLB All-Star Game. About the Across the Sky podcast The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team: Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. Chapters: (0:00:02) - Advising Sports Teams on Weather Conditions (0:05:36) - Forecasting Weather for a Baseball Team (0:10:42) - Weather and Sports (0:18:16) - The Benefits of Advanced Weather Technology (0:23:34) - Weather's Impact on Sports Decisions (0:30:48) - Weather Consideration in Major League Baseball Chapter Summaries: (0:00:02) - Advising Sports Teams on Weather Conditions (6 Minutes) Across the Sky', a national Lee Enterprises weather podcast, is hosted by meteorologists Sean Sublette in Richmond, Joe Martucci in Atlantic City and Matt Holiner in Chicago. This episode discusses the winter storms that have recently been plaguing the Midwest, and how the weather in the upcoming weeks is expected to be mild with snow expected to return next week. They also bring on a guest, Paul Gross, a recently retired broadcast meteorologist who has been consulting for the Detroit Tigers and other big-name sports teams for a while now. (0:05:36) - Forecasting Weather for a Baseball Team (5 Minutes) The conversation focuses on the protocols for forecasting lightning and calling or pausing a game as a result. It is explained that the safety of the players and the field conditions must be taken into account, as well as the safety of everyone in the stadium. An example is given of a situation which occurred during a game, when a severe thunderstorm was taking a direct bead on the ballpark and the umpire refused to stop the game. A discussion follows on the protocols for lightning and how they have changed over the years, with insight from the Paul's experience advising the Tigers. (0:10:42) - Weather and Sports (8 Minutes) This chapter of the Across the Sky podcast covers the significance of lightning and how it can be a major weather killer, yet often flies under the radar due to lack of media coverage. The conversation then transitions to the importance of time when it comes to the weather in relation to sports games and the preparation that goes into playing a game. It is noted that the decision to start the game is often up to the home team general manager. The conversation then delves into a situation in which the Detroit Tigers had a game in Boston, but with a massive rain area approaching the game was started despite the fact that it was unlikely to be completed. (0:18:16) - The Benefits of Advanced Weather Technology (5 Minutes) This conversation is about a unique experience involving the weather at the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Paul Gross recounts how, as a season ticket holder, he and his family had purchased tickets for the game, and a cousin from Chicago had come in to join them. The weather forecast was mostly dry, but the commissioner of baseball, who was a bit of a nervous type when it came to the weather, asked the speaker to stay with him during the game. As the game progressed, the speaker was able to track a few showers on radar. (0:23:34) - Weather's Impact on Sports Decisions (7 Minutes) The conversation focuses on weather's impact on the game of baseball, particularly the flight of the ball in different weather conditions. The speaker talks about his experience with Michigan football and a game they played in Colorado where they were at risk of being affected by a tropical storm. They also discuss the Detroit Lions and their playing both inside and outside and the impact of weather on their games and practices. The speaker talks about the high stakes of the information he provides and how it can affect the outcome of games. Lastly, they talk about whether decision makers ever ask the speaker what he would do in a high stakes situation' (0:30:48) - Weather Consideration in Major League Baseball (12 Minutes) Matt Holiner shared his experience of working as a meteorologist for the Cincinnati Reds and his comparison of the different mentalities between football and baseball when it comes to forecasting weather. Matt discussed how teams will wait for two or three hours until they make the call to cancel a game due to inclement weather and how he had to communicate with the grounds crew and operations manager but not the players. He also shared that football has a higher threshold for what they will tolerate weather-wise and will play in almost any condition, while baseball has a lower threshold and will typically only play if the field is not deemed dangerous. Shownotes generated by Podium.page.

U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship Final USA vs. Mexico Estadio Nacional Doroteo Guamuch Flores; Guatemala City, Guatemala Feb. 26, 2023 8 p.m. ET (FS2, TUDN, ViX+)

CLÁSICO DE CONCACAF FOR U-17 TITLE: After six-straight victories to open the Concacaf U-17 Championship, the region’s biggest rivalry is set to take center stage in the championship match as the U.S. U-17 Men’s Youth National Team faces Mexico for the confederation crown.

The USA punched its FIFA U-17 World Cup ticket with a wild 5-3 win against host Guatemala and downed Canada 2-0 in the semis to reach the tournament final. Now, the young Americans are seeking the United States’ first Concacaf title at this level since 2011. Mexico has similarly rolled through the competition thus far, compiling an undefeated 5-0-1 record and a +25 goal differential en route to a World Cup berth and the championship match.

All tournament matches are being broadcast in English on Fox Sports platforms and on the Fox Sports app with corresponding authentication. All matches are available in Spanish on ViX+, TelevisaUnivision’s streaming service. Fans can sign up for a one-month subscription for just 99 cents.

Follow all of the action from Guatemala on ussoccer.com as well as U.S. Soccer Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CRUISING PAST CANADA: After squaring off in their group stage finale, the U.S. faced Canada again in the semifinals for a spot in the Concacaf U-17 Championship Final, emerging with a strong 2-0 victory. The U.S. had a number of dangerous chances from the game’s opening whistle, but it took until the 36^th minute to find the breakthrough. Forward Micah Burton hit a wonder of a free kick from 25 yards out, drilling it to the top left corner to open the scoring. The U.S. pushed hard for an equalizer in the second half as midfielder Paulo Rudisill had a number of close calls on goal while Burton had a few solid chances to bag a brace. In the end, it was team-leading scorer Keyrol Figueroa who added the exclamation point, finishing a cross from David Vazquez in the final moments of second-half stoppage time.

MEXICO’S RUN TO THE FINAL: Mexico is also undefeated through its first six games at the Concacaf U-17 Championship, compiling a 5-0-1 record. El Tri topped Group E with a dominant 9-0 win vs. Curaçao, a 2-0 victory vs. host Guatemala and a 1-1 draw with Panama. Nicaragua, who advanced directly to the knockout stage after winning a pre-tournament qualifying group, awaited in the Round of 16 and El Tri left little doubt with an assertive 6-0 win.

In the decisive quarterfinals vs. El Salvador, a first-half goal from leading scorer Stephano Carillo put Mexico up early before Jose Urias iced things with a second-half brace to secure his team’s U-17 World Cup ticket via a 3-0 victory. The semifinal vs. Panama was tight early on, but Carillo scored just before the break to make it 1-0 and the floodgates opened after halftime with four more goals as Mexico downed Los Calaneros 5-0.

GOALKEEPERS (2): 12-Adam Beaudry (Colorado Rapids; 4/0; Castle Pines, Colo.), 1-Duran Ferree (San Diego Loyal; 3/0; San Diego, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (6): 15-Christian Diaz (LAFC; 9/0; San Bernardino, Calif.), 4-Tyler Hall (Inter Miami CF; 12/0; Miramar, Fla.), 13-Aiden Harangi (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 6/1; Zwingenberg, Germany), 5-Stuart Hawkins (Seattle Sounders FC; 12/0; Fox Island, Wash.), 3-Sawyer Jura (Portland Timbers; 8/0; Bend, Ore.), 2-Oscar Verhoeven (San Jose Earthquakes; 12/0; Pleasant Hill, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): 20-Christopher Aquino (Seattle Sounders FC; 4/2; Pasco, Wash.), 16-Adrian Gill (FC Barcelona/ESP; 9/0; Denver, Colo.), 14-Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew; 5/3; Columbus, Ohio), 10-Cruz Medina (San Jose Earthquakes; 13/5; San Francisco, Calif.), 6-Edwyn Mendoza (San Jose Earthquakes; 10/0; San Francisco, Calif.), 19-Paulo Rudisill (LA Galaxy; 13/2; Irvine, Calif.), 8-Pedro Soma (UE Cornella/ESP; 12/0; Coconut Creek, Fla.)

FORWARDS (5): 9-Micah Burton (Austin FC; 12/5; Mounds View, Minn.), 17-Keyrol Figueroa (Liverpool/ENG; Warrington, U.K.; 9/8), 7-Brian Romero (Charlotte FC; 12/2; Concord, N.C.), 18-Ezekiel Soto (Houston Dynamo FC; 14/5; Menifee, Calif.) 11-David Vasquez (Philadelphia Union; 9/0; Los Angeles, Calif.)

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Norberto Bedolla (Club America), 12-Fernando Dalgado (Real Salt Lake/USA)

DEFENDERS (6): 15-Jonathan Flores (UNAM Pumas), 3-Kevin Garcia (Santos Laguna), 13-Jose Muro (Monterrey), 4-Luis Navarrete (Toluca), 2-Jose Suarez (Cruz Azul), 5-Javen Romero (LAFC/USA)

MIDFIELDERS (9): 10-Gael Alvarez (Pachuca), 20-Yerar Azcarate (Pachuca), 14-Jose Miguel Arroyo (Toluca), 18-Cristian Inda (Chivas Guadalajar), 7-Brandon Lomeli (Nexaca), 6-Isaac Martinez (Chivas Guadalajara), 17-Israel Tello (Nexaca), 8-Alejandro Urias (Monterrey), 16-Alex Valencia (Santos Laguna)

FORWARDS (3): 11-Fidel Barajas (Charleston Battery/USA), 9-Stephano Carrillo (Santos Laguna), 19-Joaquin Moxica (Monterrey)

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: Using a variety of different formats since its inception in 1985, the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship uses the same 20-team tournament format introduced for the 2019 edition and since used for all of Concacaf’s Youth World Cup qualifying championships. Sixteen countries are drawn into four groups of four, while four countries advance directly to the Round of 16 via a pre-qualifying tournament: Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico.

The top three finishers in each group qualified to the Round of 16, where they’re joined by the four teams from pre-qualifying. From there, it’s a knockout bracket to the tournament final. The four winners of the quarterfinal matches qualified to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.

After the Oceania Football Confederation, Concacaf is the second confederation to host its qualifying tournament for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In addition to host Peru, Concacaf’s Canada, Mexico, Panama and the United States, plus New Caledonia and New Zealand from Oceania are the seven teams already set for the world championship this fall.

ROAD TO GUATEMALA: World Cup qualifying marks the eighth training camp for the U-17 MYNT since its cycle kicked off in November 2021. Since then, they’ve been challenged against top tier international opposition, including Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Uruguay.

In May, the U-17s topped the table at a UEFA Development Tournament in Castelo Branco, Portugal, topping Belgium, 3-0, and the host, 2-1, to clinch first place. Most recently, they played three international matches against U-18 opposition at the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in the Czech Republic, finishing with a 4-1 win against the host nation.

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Super Bowl champ Noah Gray helps high school players develop skills

By Ryan Bisesi, WRAL multiplatform producer

Holly Springs, N.C. — On an 85-degree day in February, Noah Gray was glad to be back in North Carolina.

The sun was shining bright for the former Duke tight end as he posed for photos and signed autographs as a Super Bowl champion a week after enduring the cold for the Kansas City Chiefs' celebratory parade.

"I've always had a soft spot for North Carolina, especially since I left," Gray said. "It's a beautiful area with great people ... It's good getting back and seeing some old faces and really just helping in the community."

Gray was at D1 Training in Holly Springs on Thursday helping Ben Frye, a former teammate of his at Duke, teach technique and refine fundamentals to area high school football players. Dalton Pontarelli is also with D1 and was a strength coach at Duke when Gray played there.

In high school, Gray only had one offer from a Power-Five program. In college, he went on to become Duke's all-time leader in receptions by a tight end with 105. Now at 23, he's helped win a championship while playing with record-breaking talents and passing on what he's learned.

"Whenever I'm in an environment like this, I just try to relay some positive information that I think could help younger generations get better," Gray said.

Gray was a fifth-round draft pick in 2021 and couldn't have asked for a better situation. On the Chiefs, Gray is second on the depth chart to Travis Kelce, arguably the most accomplished tight end in NFL history. Gray is still very much a part of the playbook designed by offensive guru Andy Reid and top quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Growing up in Massachusetts, Gray watched his share of Patriots Super Bowl runs. This season, Gray caught passes in each of the Chiefs' playoff victories.

"It's a blessing playing with guys like Pat and Trav," Gray said. "I just try to take what I learn and try to relay that the best that I can."

On Thursday, Gray also got acquainted with nine-year-old Sydney Martin, who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes like he was at 18.

"When I was nine years old like she is, the world is awesome and it's fun and nothing can really go wrong," Gray said. "To have something like that kind of shock their world is something that's super unprecedented and not a lot of people understand the difficulties and struggles that comes with Type 1 diabetes."

In April, the first residents will begin moving into the Novi Flats, located adjacent and connected to the Cabarrus County parking deck.

CONCORD, N.C. (WBTV) - The landscape in Concord is making major changes, thanks to more than $205 million in public and private investments downtown. The huge Novi projects, the courthouse expansion, and the new streetscape are bringing about the biggest change in the history of downtown.

In April, the first residents will begin moving into the Novi Flats, located adjacent and connected to the Cabarrus County parking deck.

Novi Flats features upscale finishes in all 48 residential units, including ground floor retail, and represents an estimated $11.2 million investment downtown.

“This is a massive change for downtown Concord. We’re talking about 100′s of new residents in our downtown which is really a pretty small footprint when you look at the true downtown area, and then it will also change what it looks like. It will change your view no matter where you’re looking from,” said Paige Grochoske, Downtown Development Manager for the City of Concord. “We are certainly in the throes of construction. We have three separate apartment complexes under construction right now.”

In the City of Concord 2021 updated Master Plan, it says “since the 2016 Downtown Master Plan, over $15 million has been invested by the public sector in downtown to help leverage over $32 million in private sector investment. Currently, a total of $205 million of public and private sector investment in major downtown projects is underway with some nearing completion.”

The Novi Rise property is one of three residential and mixed-use projects underway in Downtown Concord by Lansing Melbourne Group (LMG). In August 2021, LMG broke ground on three major developments – Novi Rise, Novi Flats, and Novi Lofts – which together represent an estimated $70 million of private investment in downtown.

The Novi Rise property represents an estimated $38.5 million in private investment. The project will include 167 units including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments with underground parking and retail space on the street level.

Located next to the new City Hall on Market Street, Novi Rise will be the largest of the three projects and will host the largest amenity offerings that will be shared among the projects. Novi Rise is designed to stand 7-stories tall. The Novi Rise building will also include one level of parking underneath it consisting of ~75 spaces.

On-site amenities will include a lounge, fitness center, work pods, conference room, dog washing station, and secure Amazon package lockers. These amenities will be accessible to the tenants at the Novi Lofts and Novi Flats projects as well, which will tie the residents together in a sense of community as well as creating even more foot traffic along Market Street. Novi Rise will also have mixed-use retail spaces available on the ground level.

Novi Lofts represents an estimated $20.3 million investment in downtown. After many years of vacancy, the City sold the old municipal building at 26 Union Street South to LMG to make way for Novi Lofts across the street from the Cabarrus Creamery and next door to Gianni’s.

According to developers, “considering this lot’s unique location sandwiched between Union Street South and Market Street, LMG will pay special attention to the integration of the retail units into the surrounding environment on both Union and Market Streets.”

Novi Lofts will offer 89 residential units, ground-floor retail, and a roof-top restaurant.

In addition to the Novi projects, the county is working to complete the $100 million expansion of the Cabarrus County Courthouse.

The expansion/renovation will update the aging 45-year-old building and help with an ongoing increase in local court use. Overall the project will include 240,000 square feet in new construction, 72,000 square feet in existing facility renovations.

Work on the new streetscape project is also underway. Concord City Council approved the plan for a new Downtown Streetscape in October 2019. The new plan includes 22-foot wide sidewalks, reduced 11-foot travel lanes, new ADA-accessible parking spaces, new poured concrete sidewalks with brick paver accents, added street trees and landscaping, new smart light poles, updated city utilities, space for public art, and plenty of room for new outdoor dining.

The Downtown Master Plan identified the completion of a new Downtown Streetscape as a catalytic project for downtown Concord. According to the plan, a new Downtown Streetscape will send a positive signal to the private market. It will incentivize the creation of outdoor cafes, adding life to the street and changing its perception, especially at night.

The increased foot traffic and street life will attract new restaurants/nightlife and retailers, and make reuse of now-vacant upper stories more attractive to office and residential uses. The new streetscape will also increase property values and redevelopment opportunities downtown, according to city officials.

“Having all those people here living and working really energizes our downtown,” Grochoske added.

“The amount of people moving down here, they’re going to use all of the different businesses and create different jobs,” said Brad Lagano, Economic Development Manager for the City of Concord.

Those who have shops in downtown are hopeful.

“We serve protein shakes, energizing teas, protein coffees, and good vibes to the community of Concord,” said Megan Baranko, the owner of Union St. Nutrition.

Baranko hopes those good vibes translate into a boom in business once all the new residents move in.

“Long term I’m looking forward to a lot of new faces downtown,” Baranko added.

Grochoske also pointed out that downtown Concord is becoming a destination for companies looking to relocate headquarters.

“In addition to a lot of residents and new opportunities with restaurants and shopping moving into the area, we do have a number of headquarters moving into our area on second floor types of spaces, offices building up,” Grochoske said. “We actually have three new headquarters here in downtown Concord.”

Zipline International, Rempac Manufacturing, and LMG have all established offices in downtown Concord, according to Grochoske.

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