CHICAGO Markelle Fultz, who has worked hard to overcome early career obstacles, is currently in the middle of a breakout season with the Orlando Magic.

His confidence, although it never wavered even when he had to miss time on the court because of his shoulder injury, is booming, and that has been noticed by seemingly everyone hes been in contact with at NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

Even though hes not competing in any of this years events, the 21-year-old point guard made the trip to the Windy City to get a taste of what this scene is all about. And based on what hes observed so far, hes going to push even harder to get invited to future All-Star Weekends.

Just taking it all in really and using it as motivation, Fultz said. Being around and seeing everything going on, its just a really dope experience for me. Its my first time at any event, any All-Star. Im just really honored and Im happy.

While pretty much every NBA player says a goal of theirs is to become an All-Star, Fultz is willing to go above and beyond to turn that into a reality for himself. With his eyes and ears wide open, the 2017 No. 1 overall draft pick is using all the positive energy around him in Chicago to fuel his drive even more.

His Orlando teammates, including Aaron Gordon, who is in Chicago for the dunk contest, have full confidence in him and believe he will accomplish big things in the years ahead.

Hell be back (at All-Star). Hell be in the big game soon, Gordon said.

Already very active in the Central Florida community helping children reach their highest potential, Fultz decided he wanted to make a difference on a more national scale. Thats why the 6-foot-3, 209-pounder joined Gordon for an NBA Cares event on Friday at the Navy Pier, where they helped show 300 girls from various Chicago public schools the fundamentals of the game as part of the WNBA and Jr. NBAs Her Time to Play initiative.

The positive impact Gordon, who will be participating in Saturday nights headline event for the third time in his career, has made on the Orlando area is something he is extremely proud of. Especially when it comes to children and their education, the 24-year-old high flyer is on a mission to transform youth and show them how much fun learning can be.

Last season, Gordon and Jonathan Isaac were named co-winners of the Rich & Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award for their commitment to community service in Central Florida. While incredibly grateful to be recognized, that prize was simply a reminder of all the children hes assisted through the years and the joy theyve shared during various community events.

Its always good to give back, the 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward said. We have so many public figures and high profile people (at All-Star Weekend) and its about leading by example. You come back here and you show that basketball is a game of love and it can be shared and it can take you to so many different opportunities and open so many doors. We are just trying to give back.

The Her Time to Play program curriculum, co-created with the Womens Sports Foundation, pairs on-court training with off-court life skills lessons to build girls confidence, prepare them for the challenges of adolescence and teach them important values such as teamwork and leadership.

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All-Star Weekend Appearance Motivating Markelle Fultz Even More - OrlandoMagic.com

From start-ups to well-established companies, organisations thrive or fail on motivating employees. Its mission-critical. Motivated employees are easy to spot they tend to align their purpose to that of the company, are more innovative with their problem-solving and have a greater impact. Organisations must actively work to motivate and engage employees, giving them a sense of purpose. Otherwise, theres a real risk of the company falling behind the competition and staying there.

Start-ups have an advantage on this front; its easier to motivate smaller, more tight-knit teams. Employees can be continually realigned to ever-changing organisational priorities. As companies develop and grow, maintaining this level of employee motivation becomes increasingly important. At the same time, it is more difficult to ensure culture clearly reflects purpose in the workplace, and therefore motivates employees as individuals and the organisation as a whole to perform. HR processes from goal setting to managing performance and recognising achievement can be a double-edged sword. These can either build upon the companys culture or chip away at it.

Its never too late for a company to change its approach. Whatever the size of the business, building a more engaged, motivated workforce begins with developing a performance-focused culture that goes beyond simple workplace benefits.

Dont neglect the performance review

While perks like table tennis tables, free lunches and unlimited holiday are nice, they arent actually successful tools for motivating employees

While perks like table tennis tables, free lunches and unlimited holiday are nice, they arent actually successful tools for motivating employees. Motivation is a continuous process which involves nurturing a sense of purpose to unify the entire organisation from employees to managers. At a time when the majority of employees believe performance reviews are a needless HR requirement, managers should think about how they can source the most value from them. When the performance reviews importance is overlooked, its often a reflection of the mis-alignment between workers day-to-day activities and their understanding of their role within the businesss mission.

Not only this, but of those managers who do prioritise performance reviews, many only tend to hold them annually and use them as opportunities to reel off a list of bog-standard, demotivating objectives with no timeframe in which to meet them. Such an approach doesnt fit the modern workforce: annual reviews often fail to nurture a sense of purpose in the workplace or sustain motivation in employees, despite it being the primary purpose of any performance-management program. In order to be motivated, meet todays goals and prepare for tomorrows challenges, employees must have a clear understanding of how their work impacts the companys performance and that means having regular conversations about their progress.

A healthy, performance-focused culture comes down to a need for employees to link their individual objectives to the priorities set by the business monthly, quarterly and annually. To make this possible. HR teams, managers and employees should all have the tools to see the businesss key goals, connect these with their own objectives and track progress toward achieving them individually and as a company. Transparency gives everyone a stake in the process, proving to employees that their work really matters to the overall direction and success of the business.

Its all in the conversation

When managers do take the time to speak to employees, the conversations usually focus on day-to-day tasks and rarely touch on wider goals or development opportunities

Once each individuals goals are linked to the wider business objectives, it becomes easier to see where employees need more support to achieve their targets. Its no longer possible to wait for the end-of-year performance review to see what employees are achieving. Instead of time-consuming, weighty annual reviews where feedback and assistance often comes too late and is no longer valuable, organisations should encourage more frequent light-weight conversations.

Managers often feel they check in with their direct reports regularly, but in reality most dont have the important performance-related conversations with employees nearly enough. When managers do take the time to speak to employees, the conversations usually focus on day-to-day tasks and rarely touch on wider goals or development opportunities. To break this cycle, managers should be encouraged to hold short monthly conversations. These can focus on three simple goal-oriented questions: 1) What do you need more of? 2) What do you need less of? 3) How can I help?

Following this method keeps work on track and makes it easier to correct any issues in a more timely manner. But businesses shouldnt expect perfection from the start; employees and managers need practice giving and receiving feedback regularly to become effective. Often, managers either want or need additional help when it comes to coaching employees and teams towards improved performance. However, frequent, short conversations are better than purposely not checking in on performance at all. As time progresses, these discussions become smoother and more valuable for the employee, the manager and, ultimately, the business.

No matter what size your company, creating a performance-driven culture in the workplace that provides purpose and encourages communication will help motivate employees and also retain them and that will ultimately keep businesses ahead of the competition.

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What performance culture can teach us about motivating employees in the workplace - Workplace Insight

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. City Hall is looking to modernize its charter by changing the language, said assistant City Manager Ted Dearing.

He said theyd specifically like to change all the pronouns found in the over 33 sections of the charter.

Thats dozens and dozens of changes in the charter but in every case it might be changing the he to a them or his to a their, Dearing said during an interview with FOX 17 Friday morning. Its very minor language changes but it occurs at various locations throughout the charter.

Dearing said changing the pronouns has been discussed for a few years. Theyd like to include the proposal on the March 10 ballot.

We have a female city manager and when every reference in the charter is to a male, then thats probably not where you want to be of an inclusive community, he said. So I think its very important again, given what todays dynamics look like to make people feel like hey they can be part of their city government, they can be part of the infrastructure here and that the charter reflects that.

Dearing said the motivation behind the proposal is inclusivity. Back in October 2019, City Hall removed a stained glass window that depicted a Native American in a belittling way.

He said changing the language in the charter would be done in the same regard, to make the city more welcoming to its various residents.

I think this is just an extension of the commitment from the city commission to be inclusive in not only their actions but in their language, Dearing said.

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City Hall says inclusivity is motivation behind proposal to change pronouns in its charter - Fox17

Using digital game-based learning is on the rise in schools and learning organisations globally. Kahoot! currently has over 2 billion players, according to DArcy including teachers, students, parents, and even corporate users.

With over 60 million interactive games, the platform has developed the nickname, The Netflix of Education.

Education and brain training are increasingly being seen as a market where telemedia players could find a new market. Carrier billing for one off plays of brain training is a natural fit, but the interactive elements of the industry could have a much greater role to play in education than that. It is an interesting field.

Technology is becoming more and more important in 21st century classrooms, where students can learn from anywhere at any time and have access to the worlds information, says Sean DArcy, Head of Marketing from Norwegian based Kahoot.

He believes that while traditional classrooms will continue to exist in the future, they will be supported with the use of interactive and social learning environments so that they can accommodate all kinds of learners and make learning a fun, gamified experience.

Kahoot is a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, share and play fun learning games or trivia quizzes. Kahoot! is used in a variety of settings: in K-12 and university classrooms, corporate offices, social settings, and major sporting and cultural events.

In 2018, Kahoot! had over one billion participating players in more than 200 countries. Launched in 2013, the company is headquartered in Norway with offices in the US and the UK.

Tapping into this is CMRubinWorld, which sells CMRubinWorlds award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, that brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the worlds leading thinkers.

Read morehere

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Game technology increasingly integrated into teaching environments to enhance students engagement and motivation - Telemedia Online

February 14, 2020 5:55AM

Amazon Prime that Vitamin D to your doorstep...We've heard it a dozen times from our irritating neighbors trying to strike up a chat as we nab the morning mail, or from our overprotective parents across the phone: "you've got to try those vitamin D supplements!" While we may roll our eyes, this vitamin really is the name of the game when it comes to Seattle cuisine through the dreary months. Avoid the wintertime blues and swallow one of these tiny bad boys with your morning supplements; vitamin D (often derived from the sun) plays a power role when it comes to regulation of calcium and healthy bones, maintenance of phosphorus levels, and facilitation of our immune system.

Get lit...Happy lamps are a very real thing, and beloved by many a Seattleites. These ultra-bright lamps are not your everyday nightstand bulb. Serving as a source of mock light for your eyes, mind, and body, shoot for a lamp of 1,000 lux or more, which is 100 times stronger than your average lamp. Taking a seat in front of the lamp for 20 to 90 minutes each day (preferably early in the morning) can help "trick" your body into thinking it's still receiving a healthy dose of daylight, increasing energy and happiness levels across the board. For those who hate their alarm clock, also check out dawn simulators, which increase in brightness as a rising sun would come daytime.

Get lit...Happy lamps are a very real thing, and beloved by many a Seattleites. These ultra-bright lamps are not your everyday nightstand bulb. Serving as a source of mock light for your eyes, mind, and body,

Hunt down some salmon and gather those wild shrooms...Calling all foraging fanatics! As comfort fare and carbohydrate cravings increase through the winter months, strive not to skip out on local produce to supplement the vitamins your body needs to feel fueled. Stock up on fruits and veggies, but also salmon (high in vitamin D3 and Omega-3,) herring (also high in Omega-3,) and wild mushrooms (packed with vitamin D2.)

Ready your neon '80s workout garb, and don't forget the leg warmers...We get it. Either it's too dark and rainy for a jog or a stroll after work, or you're simply just too tired to toss on your workout clothes after a long day in the office. If working out bores you or you can't muster the motivation, look forward to a more winter-friendly fitness activity. Hunt down a neighborhood indoor pool membership for a summertime feel but winter workout (like Snohomish Aquatic Center's balmy warm water pool at 102 degrees,) sweat out your stresses in an infrared sauna at the nearby gym, or check out reservations for these hot spring adventures to get you out of the house.

Refuse to reclude...If you've told your besties you're sick for the sixth time this month to avoid social outings, things might start seeming a little sketchy on their end. If you're too tired come the weekend when you can finally relax or don't have the energy to dress up and head downtown for a happy hour (we're with you,) simply plan social gatherings that don't require as much effort outside of the house! Maintaining conversation and social interaction with others is vital when it comes to keeping happy levels high through the dark months, so while there's a time and a place for a cup of tea and a Netflix binge, opt for joining a book club, picking up a winter sport like show shoeing or skiing, hopping into a Meetup group with people who care for dim sum or latte art as much as you do, or host a dinner party from home to keep you out of your reclusion.

Note: If you want to look forward to an event that at least makes you feel like it's spring, register for the annual Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Decked in thousands of multihued florals and surrounded by a warm venue, the exhibition of horticulture and gardening held in Seattle for five days each February is the largest garden show west of Philadelphia, and the second largest garden show in the country. Not to mention, you can spruce up your kitchen table with some bright tulips.

Refuse to reclude...If you've told your besties you're sick for the sixth time this month to avoid social outings, things might start seeming a little sketchy on their end. If you're too tired come the weekend

Call up your local window washers...The most challenging step on this entire list...here's how it goes: step out of bed, walk to the window, and open the blinds. That's it. That's the tip. While it may be raining outside or unsurprisingly overcast, opening your blinds still lets in a healthy dose of natural light and some semblance of an outside world when you feel cooped up. Not to mention, supposedly opening your blinds can help kill bacteria that can live in dust particles around your home.

Skip the summer vacation...So don't actually skip taking a much needed vacation, but rather, pre-plan the trip for when you know you'll really need it. Head to Hawaii come January or February, plan an easy San Francisco escape come March, or look forward to a trek through Arizona's national parks come early April. The wintertime breaks for warmer temperatures will help revive skin missing the sun and drooping motivation.

Skip the summer vacation...So don't actually skip taking a much needed vacation, but rather, pre-plan the trip for when you know you'll really need it. Head to Hawaii come January or February, plan an easy San

Keep growing...For both a little happy lamp and a healthy hobby through the Seattle darkness, order an indoor garden to settle on your windowsill to grow fresh herbs, sprigs of lavender, and even baby strawberries despite the inability to grow fresh produce outdoors. The caretaking, the mock sunlight lamp, and the fresh produce after a few weeks of waiting will keep your spirits lifted and your refrigerator fresh.

Keep growing...For both a little happy lamp and a healthy hobby through the Seattle darkness, order an indoor garden to settle on your windowsill to grow fresh herbs, sprigs of lavender, and even baby

All puns aside, don't hesitate to talk with your physician... Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a very real thing, affecting around 10 million Americans according to Psychology Today. A type of depression related to changes in the seasons, drops in levels of serotonin and melatonin alongside an imbalanced biological clock may leave many feeling depressed and low in energy. According to the Mayo Clinic, "It's normal to have some days when you feel down, but if feel down for days at a time and you can't get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor."

Photo: Photo By Cathy Scola/Getty Images

Amazon Prime that Vitamin D to your doorstep...We've heard it a dozen times from our irritating neighbors trying to strike up a chat as we nab the morning mail, or from our overprotective parents across the phone: "you've got to try those vitamin D supplements!" While we may roll our eyes, this vitamin really is the name of the game when it comes to Seattle cuisine through the dreary months. Avoid the wintertime blues and swallow one of these tiny bad boys with your morning supplements; vitamin D (often derived from the sun) plays a power role when it comes to regulation of calcium and healthy bones, maintenance of phosphorus levels, and facilitation of our immune system.

How to stay happy and motivated through a dark Seattle winter

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How to stay happy and motivated through a dark Seattle winter - seattlepi.com

POLK COUNTY, Iowa (KWQC) - A Des Moines woman who was charged after two hit-and-runs that officials called racially-motivated has been ruled incompetent to stand trial.

According to court records, on Tuesday, 42-year-old Nicole Poole appeared in Polk County District Court to determine whether she was competent to stand trial.

The court ruled that Poole is suffering from a mental disorder which prevents her from understanding the charges and the proceedings, or assisting effectively in her own defense. That means proceedings in the case are suspended until the court finds Poole competent to stand trial.

Because the court considers Poole to pose a danger to "the public peace and safety," she will have to undergo inpatient treatment. She is being sent to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, or another appropriate treatment facility, for treatment that is designed to restore her competency.

The psychiatrist or psychologist treating Poole will have to report to the court within 30 days and every 60 days afterwards regarding Poole's mental disorder and whether it appears she can be restored to competency in a reasonable amount of time.

Poole was charged with attempted murder in December after police say she ran over a 14-year-old girl because she was Mexican. She was also charged with attempted murder for driving over a Des Moines curb on the same day to hit a 12-year-old boy.

Police say on December 9, just before 5 p.m,. a 14-year-old girl was walking on the sidewalk on her way to an activity at a high school when a vehicle hit her. Officials say Poole left the road to run the girl over.

The teenager suffered numerous injuries, and police say Poole left the area without helping the teen.

On Thursday, Dec. 19, police identified the driver, and detectives interviewed her at the Polk County Jail, where she was being held on other charges.

During the interview, police say Franklin not only admitted to hitting the teen but that she did so intentionally. Police say Franklin told them she ran over the girl because she was "a Mexican." Officials say Franklin went on to make numerous derogatory comments about Latinos to investigators.

Des Moines police spokesman Paul Parizek said the 12-year-old boy who Poole hit is black and said at the time that looking at the other two incidents, "the hate-filled motivation is apparent."

According to a separate court filing, because an order for involuntary treatment of mental illness was issued, Poole will no longer be able to possess a firearm. The loss is permanent, unless a petition to restore that right is approved by a district court in Iowa.

A hearing has been scheduled for April 21, 2020 to revisit the issue and determine whether Poole is competent to stand trial at that point.

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Iowa woman accused in racially-motivated hit-and-runs ruled incompetent to stand trial - KWQC-TV6

Rising Norwegian star Casper Ruud, 21, doesn't want to waste any time on the Tour as he is eager to win now as much as possible. Ruud, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 45 in the world, claimed a 7-5 6-1 win over third-seeded Dusan Lajovic 7-5 6-1 to make the semifinal in Buenos Aires.

"I will try to look at it as positive as possible. I'm young and hopefully I have many years ahead in my career," Ruud said beating Lajovic. "I'm not going to say that I'm better than the older players but when you are young you are maybe a little bit more explosive, you are very keen and very eager to do well every single week...

This is something that I have been trying to motivate myself with." Ruud, who ended runner-up in Houston last year, is aiming to win his maiden ATP title in Buenos Aires as he is set to battle next against Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero, who beat Guido Pella.

Even with a semifinal loss, the 21-year-old Norwegian would still break into the top-40 for the first time in his career on Monday and reach a new career-high ranking.

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Casper Ruud: I'm young and very motivated to do well every single week - Tennis World USA

Oregon voters generally have it good. Vote-by-mail allows us to vote at home, while, beginning with the first election this year, the state will pick up the postage if we return ballots by mail. And, thanks to a relatively new law that registers voters automatically when they apply for or renew a drivers license, would-be voters dont even have to bother to take time to register.

There is one more step lawmakers could take to make it even easier to vote, however. As Jennifer Williamson, one of the Democratic candidates for Secretary of State, said recently, allowing Oregonians to register to vote on the day of the election would open voting up to people who, for now, are denied the privilege.

Actually, allowing same-day registration would be a return to the old ways in this state. It had been part of the Oregon Revised Statutes since 1979, but voters got rid of it in November, 1986, when they approved Ballot Measure 13 by a nearly 2-1 margin. The measure, a constitutional amendment, was proposed in the wake of attempts by followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to pack voter rolls in Wasco County in 1984 by busing homeless men and women from the Portland area to The Dalles to register to vote.

If Oregon is serious about making sure every citizen of the state has a right to vote and that its relatively easy for each of us to do so, its time to return to the pre-1986 good old days. Same-day voter registration was, in fact, a problem, though only briefly. Since then the technology to verify and track information about individuals has improved dramatically, making the risk of another major attempt to register people fraudulently unlikely.

Meanwhile, the change would close a loophole that keeps some Oregonians, among them newcomers, from casting ballots in state elections. Thats a loophole ripe for closing.

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Take last step to voter access | Wire Commentary - Herald and News

RICKY WILSON/STUFF

Police are conducting a training exercise in Wellington this week.

Wellington residents will notice an increased police presence in their areadue to atraining exercise which will starton Monday.

Theexercise will be based at101 Rongotai Road, Kilbirnie, and will continue untilFriday,February 14.

"There will be an increased police presence in the area between 8am and 4pm, and this will include staff carrying firearms.

Supplied

Kilbernie residents might hear some loud bangs due to a police training exercise.

READ MORE: * Police to take part in training exercise at Hawke's Bay Airport * Police carrying firearms, 'loud noises' expected for training exercise in south Auckland * Police training excercise in Manukau Harbour

"Members of the public may hear breaking glass and some loud bangs coming from the venue."

Police reassured residents that there wasno cause for concern during the exercise.

*Forqueries, contact the Wellington Police Communications Centre on (04) 381 2000 and quote event number P040820976.

Wellington

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Police to conduct training exercise in Kilbirnie - Stuff.co.nz

You want a centered first responder

Learn more about local first responders attempts to stay sane and limber in the Humboldt Bay Fire press release below:

Humboldt Bay Fire has partnered with Yoga for First Responders to bring yoga to the fire floor and support the mental and physical health of our team.

Not only are firefighters more likely to die by suicide than on duty, but rates of depression and PTSD amongst fire personnel are 5 times higher than those of the general population.

This new practice adds to our existing Wellness Program including a Peer Support team, annual physicals, Behavior Health Awareness & Mental Health trainings, and Employee Assistance Program.

We believe this implementation will increase crew resiliency to high stress situations and improve long-term job survivability. In addition, regularly practicing yoga has been shown to decrease injury and increase recovery time in first responders, as well as positively impact neuroplasticity and heart rate variability regulation. A healthier crew means that HBF is better prepared to serve the community at the highest standard.

We are so excited to work with our local Yoga for First Responders instructor, Jennelle Crnich, and look forward to a happy and healthy 2020.

For more information: https://www.yogaforfirstresponders.org/

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DOWNWARD FACING DO-GOODERS: Humboldt Firefighters Are Now Taking Yoga Classes So That They May Better Rescue You Someday - Lost Coast Outpost