Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne has been fined A$700 after pleading guilty to a drink-driving offence in Australia.

The New Zealand international football player was sentenced at Manly Local Court on Monday, after he was stopped by police while joy-riding on a golf cart on a public road in the early hours of March 24 when he was supposed to be in Covid-19 quarantine.

According to NSW Police, Payne underwent a roadside breath test and was then taken to Mona Vale Police Station where he allegedly returned a 0.100 breath-alcohol reading.

He pleaded guilty to a mid-range drink-driving charge on June 10.

On Monday, Payne was ordered by the court to pay a A$700 ($747.7) fine.

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Earlier this month, Payne was slapped with a four-game suspension from the FFA for breaching the National Code of Conduct, as was back-up Phoenix goalkeeper Oliver Sail, who was in the passenger seat of the golf cart at the time. Sail was not charged by the police.

The Phoenix have since returned to Australia, where they are currently in the midst of another 14-day stint in quarantine as they prepare for the resumption of the A-League season in mid-July.

The team’s next match is against leaders Sydney FC on July 17.

Their remaining six regular season games will be played in Australia.

Although they will be without Payne for their next four rounds, the 26-year-old’s loss has been offset by the return of first-choice right-back Louis Fenton from a long-term shoulder injury.

Prior to leaving Wellington, Fenton declared himself fully fit and said he was ready to win back his starting spot.

“I want to play every game and even if Tim was still available I think I’d be trying to push him and trying to get my spot back in the starting 11,” he said.

Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne has pleaded guilty to drink-driving after a shirtless late-night joy ride in a golf cart in Sydney.

The All White football international issued his guilty plea to a mid-range drink-driving charge via email in the Manly Local Court on Wednesday, NSW Courts confirmed to Stuff, and will be sentenced on June 29.

Payne was charged after breaking the Phoenix’s 14-day Covid-19 quarantine by leaving the team’s base at the Sydney Academy of Sport at North Narrabeen to drive the golf cart on a public road in the early hours of March 24.

NSW Police said at the time Payne had undergone a roadside breath test and was taken to Mona Vale police station where he allegedly returned a 0.100 breath-alcohol reading.

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The Transport for NSW website says a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 to less than 0.15 carries a minimum disqualification of six months and maximum court-imposed fine of AU$2200 (NZ$2353) for a first offence.

A Manly Daily report stated police were alerted after motorists saw the golf cart on the road.

Payne returned to New Zealand with the Phoenix after the incident when the A-League was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was issued with a court notice to appear for plea or mention in Manly Local Court on June 10.

Payne sent an email, via his New Zealand solicitor, to the court, admitting his guilt.

A sentence can be imposed in Payne’s absence on June 29 if needed. The Phoenix squad is currently split between Wellington, Australia, England, and Mexico, but they are set to reassemble in Sydney later this month, as the A-League eyes a return to action in July.

A tearful Payne told Radio Sport on March 26 he was sorry for his actions, and apologised for embarrassing his club.

“I just want to say I am incredibly sorry and incredibly embarrassed for what I’ve done,” he said.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and for what unfolded on that night. I’ve let so many people down including my partner, my family, the club as a whole and individuals such as Uffie [coach Ufuk Talay], who has given me a chance this season.

“I’m incredibly embarrassed and so sorry that I’ve let so many people down.”

He added that he would take “full responsibility” for any legal sanctions in Australia and for any penalties imposed by the Phoenix and Football Federation Australia, who oversee the A-League.

The Phoenix said on March 26 that they were taking the matter seriously as they launched an investigation, but have provided no further update in the 12 weeks since. An FFA investigation is also underway.

Payne was on the books of English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers as a teenager, but has mostly played in New Zealand’s amateur national league for Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs, who he won the title with in 2019.

He signed a one-year professional deal with the Phoenix last July and extended his contract through to 2022 in January, after becoming a regular starter at right back in the absence of injured veteran Louis Fenton.

The Wellington Phoenix’s All Whites football defender Tim Payne has pleaded guilty to drink-driving after a shirtless late-night joy ride in a golf court during lockdown in Sydney.

Payne issued his guilty plea to a mid-range drink-driving charge, via email from New Zealand, in the Manly District Court on Wednesday, according to a report in the Manly Daily and Daily Telegraph.

The 26-year-old A-League fullback will be sentenced on June 29.

Payne was charged after breaking the Phoenix’s 14-day coronavirus lockdown by leaving the team’s base at the Sydney Academy of Sport at North Narrabeen to drive the golf cart on a public road.

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* Seven weeks on, Phoenix yet to announce decision on wayward footballers
* Phoenix star Tim Payne must face the music for his golf buggy brain fade
* Wellington Phoenix player Tim Payne ‘sorry’ after drink-drive charge for Sydney joy ride
* ‘Out of our control’: Coronavirus cloud hangs over All Whites’ Middle East matches

Payne – with Phoenix reserve goalkeeper Oliver Sail in the passenger seat – was stopped by police on Oxford Falls Rd, 4km from the team’s base, at 1.10am.

Reports at the time claimed Payne had a roadside breath test and was then taken to Mona Vale police station where he allegedly returned a 0.100 breath-alcohol reading.

According to the Transport for NSW website a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 to less than 0.15 and carries a minimum disqualification of six months and maximum court-imposed fine of $2200 for a first offence.

The Manly Daily report stated police were alerted after motorists saw the golf cart on the road.

Payne returned to New Zealand with the Phoenix after the incident when the A-League was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was issued with a court notice to appear for plea or mention in Manly Local Court on June 10.

Payne sent an email, via his New Zealand solicitor, to the court, admitting his guilt.

The Manly Daily report noted that a sentence can be imposed in Payne’s absence on June 29.

A tearful Payne told Radio Sport on March 26 he was sorry for his actions, and apologised for embarrassing his club.

“I just want to say I am incredibly sorry and incredibly embarrassed for what I’ve done,” he said.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and for what unfolded on that night. I’ve let so many people down including my partner, my family, the club as a whole and individuals such as Uffie [coach Ufuk Talay], who has given me a chance this season.

“I’m incredibly embarrassed and so sorry that I’ve let so many people down.

“It was the last day before we left to come home and myself and Oliver Sail took a golf cart for a ride in the early hours of the evening. Contrary to reports we weren’t arrested and the public did not intervene.”

Payne told Radio Sport he would take “full responsibility” for any legal sanctions in Australia and any penalties imposed by the Phoenix and Football Federation Australia, who run the A-League.

“It was definitely a mistake on my behalf. It’s just one of those things you wish you could take back. With anything you do in life, there’s got to be repercussions… I 100 per cent expect there to be repercussions for my actions.”

On the books of Blackburn Rovers as a teenager, Payne has worked hard to resurrect football career in recent seasons following spells with national league sides Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs.

The Aucklander was invited to trial with the Phoenix in pre-season and signed a one-year deal. He became a regular at right-back after stepping in to replace the injured Louis Fenton in round five.

Payne negotiated a two-year contract extension last January.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found their pied piper, according to Michael Giardi of NFL Network. Tom Brady has already won many of his teammates over already and is drawing rave views for the energy he’s bringing, along with his leadership.

Tom Brady ‘lighting up’ Buccaneers team meetings

Brady has put together some workouts with teammates already, and the reports coming out of those are overwhelmingly positive. However, that’s not the only way he’s impacting his new Buccaneers teammates.

“I was told he is lighting up the Zoom meetings,” Giardi reported. “Intelligent questions, personality, engaging his teammates — this is exactly what they need.”

Giardi also was told by another player that Brady is being “aggressive” and is “becoming our leader” already.

Tom Brady carries his legend to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With two decades of NFL experience and six Super Bowl wins under his belt, Brady certainly has the clout to make this type of impact. We already know his new teammates are over the moon for this opportunity to play with the G.O.A.T.

Still, it’s not hard to see that Brady is as charged up about the upcoming season as he’s been for anything football related in some time. That energy has led to big-time increases in interest from fans buying tickets. And soon, it could lead to something even more meaningful for this franchise.

A Halls Chophouse employee fired a handgun into the air during Saturday night protests in downtown Charleston when one of the patrons, a former Clemson and professional football player, was injured in an altercation with members of the crowd. 

The popular King Street restaurant was not spared from damage during the demonstration Saturday evening. Earlier in the day, hundreds of demonstrators marched through Charleston in peaceful protest to honor George Floyd, an African American man who died at the hands of police in Minnesota. By sundown, buildings caught on fire, windows were smashed and tensions escalated throughout the Holy City. 

Jim Stuckey, a Clemson All-American and defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets in the 1980s, was a patron at the restaurant on Saturday evening and was injured. The altercations in front of Hall’s Chophouse quickly spread on social media and three videos shared with The Post and Courier and half a dozen eyewitness statements have helped answer questions as to what occurred. 

Just remember that @hallschophouse is a white supremacist company, should a company that stands as one of the faces of charleston tourism really behave like this? pic.twitter.com/eP478mu540

— Dungeon Daddy (@DonjonDaddy) May 31, 2020

As crowds began to form, an employee with the restaurant stepped outside, pointed a firearm and told protesters to back away from the establishment, an eyewitness who filmed the incident told the newspaper. Some members of the crowd began throwing things at the steakhouse after being shown the weapon. 

Stuckey was already present in front of the restaurant with a golf club and was getting into a verbal altercation with some of the protesters. A Post and Courier reporter on the scene photographed and witnessed the former athlete holding the iron and a cigar while interacting with the crowd. 

In a very Charleston move, this man is smoking a cigar and wielding a golf club outside Halls pic.twitter.com/eMI4JDe1Nz

— Sara Coello (@smlcoello) May 31, 2020

An eyewitness that filmed the interactions said Stuckey was then attacked by several people after shouting at the crowd and was knocked to the ground. Around 9:56 p.m., the Halls’ employee then came back outside and fired at least four shots into the air according to videos shared with the newspaper and heard by a reporter on scene.

“Shots were fired during the height of the violence outside of our restaurant around the time a window at Halls was being broken,” a statement from the restaurant said. “In an effort to protect customers and staff, a Halls’ team member drew his licensed concealed firearm and discharged it into the air while other members of the Halls team brought an injured guest inside the restaurant.”

The restaurant added that “no one was injured by the gunfire, but a Halls’ guest was injured in front of the restaurant.” The steakhouse said in a statement that they are cooperating with authorities and will conduct an internal investigation.

Additionally, the restaurant said that certain staff members are trained and licensed to carry concealed weapons.

Windows were broken and some damage happened from an object being thrown through the glass, the restaurant confirmed. There was no looting on the premises. 

Stuckey, when reached by phone on Sunday, did not want to elaborate on the event or the extent of his injuries and added that he was not pressing charges against any individuals.

On Sunday, the restaurant posted a statement on Facebook that read: “We will remain closed tonight. We love our city and its people. We will not let violence win the fight over the need for justice and equality.” 

The post had a wide-range of criticism and praise in the comments. 

“I hope the employee that was standing out of your door and shooting into street becomes a clear indication to the rest of Charleston about the way your restaurant disregards life,” one account wrote. 

Another commenter said, “Thankfully your employee was armed and took action. I hope he is recognized and not reprimanded!”

Bill Hall, the founder and owner of the restaurant, would not answer questions about the incident when asked at his restaurant Sunday. He did issue a statement through a spokeswoman. 

“Charleston is a city which has gracefully weathered the toughest storms, including the unthinkable tragedy at Mother Emanuel,” his statement said. “I support the efforts and message of our peaceful protesters. I do not believe they are the individuals who have caused chaos in our city. We are cooperating with authorities as they investigate all that has taken place on King Street.”

Police Chief Luther Reynolds said 10 people were charged after the protests overnight and more arrests are anticipated. He said he suspects the vandals causing property damage downtown were from outside Charleston, but he didn’t immediately have data to back that up. He said no one was seriously injured in the episode, but four firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.

The City of Charleston enacted an earlier curfew for Sunday evening and requested the assistance of the South Carolina National Guard to keep order. Officials hope the new curfew, which will run from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., will help curb vandalism and public damage. 

Sara Coello and Glenn Smith contributed to this report

Reach Thomas Novelly at 843-937-5713. Follow him @TomNovelly on Twitter. 

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Rennes striker M’Baye Niang has been fined €1,500 for breaking social distancing rules in France to watch horse racing.

Niang, who enjoyed a loan spell in the Premier League with Watford in 2016-17, was caught by stewards entering the Marseille Pont-de-Vivaux racecourse to watch his horse “Swetty Beauty.”

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The French government allowed horse racing to restart behind closed doors on May 11 amid the coronavirus pandemic but Niang was among four people who attended the race track the following day.

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A report shown in Equidia said the president of France Galop’s south-eastern regional committee Patrick Dreux led Niang and three others into the car park using an access code before entering the deserted panoramic restaurant.

All five men were fined but said they would not have accessed the racecourse if there had been sufficient security staff or a sign making them aware of the national ban.

Dreux, who is a member of France’s horse racing governing body, is reported to have told a steward: “You should not think that you’re at home here, you’re not the only person who knows the access code.”

Niang is not the only Ligue 1 player to find himself in trouble during the lockdown period in France. Angers attacking midfielder Farid El Melali apologised after he was arrested and charged with public masturbation earlier this month.

The Professional Football League (LFP) in France cancelled the 2019-20 season last month, declaring Paris Saint-Germain as champions while Niang’s Rennes securing a place in the Champions League qualification rounds.

AP PA Headlines 5/24/20

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State health officials say civil penalties totaling more than $93,000 have been assessed against nursing care facilities in Pennsylvania amid hundreds of complaint investigations during the coronavirus pandemic. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Saturday that nursing home surveyors have conducted more than 1,470 inspections of nursing homes since the beginning of February. Officials said more than 5,000 deaths in the commonwealth are now associated with the coronavirus. State health officials also reported that more than 700 more people testing positive for the coronavirus, bringing

YARDLEY, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say the deaths of two men at a luxury apartment complex in the Philadelphia area are believed to have been a murder-suicide. Police in Lower Makefield Township were called to The Edge at Yardley at about 12:30 p.m. Friday and found a man lying on the ground outside with multiple gunshot wounds. A witness told police that the shooter had entered a downstairs apartment, and police evacuated about 50 people and told others to shelter in place. Hours later, police said, Bucks County SWAT Team members entered and found the man dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Police say a man in a north Philadelphia hospital for drug detoxification barricaded himself in a room in the emergency department and set fire to bed sheets, but no one was injured. Police said the 30- to 40-year-old man was searched by security at Temple University Hospital’s Episcopal  Campus at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday and placed in a room. Police said he barricaded himself inside and turned on oxygen tanks, then lit the bed sheets on fire. Police said a maintenance man broke a window and the man climbed out and fought with security, but police arrived and arrested him.

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Two men have been charged with firing nearly a dozen shots at three Pittsburgh-area police officers who were following them in February. Court documents indicate that 19-year-old Ezra Michael Grant of Greensburg and 18-year-old J’Lamar Jeremiah Washington of Pittsburgh face charges including attempted homicide and assault on a law enforcement officer in the Feb. 4 shooting. The Tribune-Review reports that no one was seriously hurt. Detectives said Grant denied shooting at the van. Court documents don’t list defense attorneys and listed numbers for them couldn’t be found Saturday.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

Features

(AP) —  Millions of Americans are set to emerge from coronavirus lockdowns and venture outdoors to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at beaches, cookouts and family outings. But public health officials have deep concerns that large gatherings could cause outbreaks to come roaring back. Medical experts warn the virus won’t take a holiday for the unofficial start of summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying home, avoiding crowds and connecting with family by phone or video chat. Specialists advise those who celebrate to maintain social distancing, wear masks and avoid sharing food and drinks.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

Sports

(AP) —  Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are getting ready for another made-for-TV match, this time with friends from the NFL. Woods and Peyton Manning take on Mickelson and Tom Brady in what’s being billed as “The Match: Champions for Charity.” It will be the second straight Sunday live golf is on TV. The purpose is to raise $10 million for COVID-19 relief efforts and to provide entertainment. Another big appeal is seeing golf’s biggest star on TV again. Woods was last seen on Feb. 16 at Riviera when he shot weekend rounds of 76 and 77 and finished last at the Genesis Invitational.

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Linebacker Anthony Chickillo has agreed to a contract with the New Orleans Saints after playing the last five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal was announced Saturday by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Chickillo is changing teams for the first time. He was drafted in the sixth round by Pittsburgh in 2015. He played in 11 games for the Steelers last season.

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July. It’s the clearest sign yet that the NBA believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the site would be used for practices and housing as well.

PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) — Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested in Southern California on Friday. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the second player taken in the 1998 draft was taken into custody on a domestic battery charge in Palm Desert, about 110 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Leaf was being held on $5,000 bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. Leaf finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 1997 and led Washington State to the Rose Bowl. Drafted by the Chargers, he won just four of 18 games as a starter in three seasons with the team.

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals have changed their plans for a virtual World Series ring ceremony after players decided they would rather wait until they could reunite in person to receive their new jewelry. The Nationals previously announced they were going to give out the rings during a show broadcast on television and online. They still plan to unveil the design of the ring Sunday, the anniversary of the date they began their turnaround from a 19-31 record to World Series champs.

UNDATED (AP) — Canada’s NHL teams have offered season ticket-holders rebate or refund options in acknowledgment that no more 2019-20 regular-season games will be played in front of fans in their respective buildings. The Canadian Press says all seven teams contacted their season ticket bases last week with options and/or deadlines to make a decision. Leagues and teams around the world are either playing in empty stadiums or trying to figure out a way to just resume play during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STERLING, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump played golf Saturday for the first time since he declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency more than two months ago. The golf outing came a day after Trump said houses of worship are “essential” and he demanded that governors allow them to reopen during the holiday weekend. Photographs that appeared on Twitter showed him swinging a golf club and driving alone in a cart on the course at his private Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

AP PA Headlines 5/24/20

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State health officials say civil penalties totaling more than $93,000 have been assessed against nursing care facilities in Pennsylvania amid hundreds of complaint investigations during the coronavirus pandemic. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Saturday that nursing home surveyors have conducted more than 1,470 inspections of nursing homes since the beginning of February. Officials said more than 5,000 deaths in the commonwealth are now associated with the coronavirus. State health officials also reported that more than 700 more people testing positive for the coronavirus, bringing

YARDLEY, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say the deaths of two men at a luxury apartment complex in the Philadelphia area are believed to have been a murder-suicide. Police in Lower Makefield Township were called to The Edge at Yardley at about 12:30 p.m. Friday and found a man lying on the ground outside with multiple gunshot wounds. A witness told police that the shooter had entered a downstairs apartment, and police evacuated about 50 people and told others to shelter in place. Hours later, police said, Bucks County SWAT Team members entered and found the man dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Police say a man in a north Philadelphia hospital for drug detoxification barricaded himself in a room in the emergency department and set fire to bed sheets, but no one was injured. Police said the 30- to 40-year-old man was searched by security at Temple University Hospital’s Episcopal  Campus at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday and placed in a room. Police said he barricaded himself inside and turned on oxygen tanks, then lit the bed sheets on fire. Police said a maintenance man broke a window and the man climbed out and fought with security, but police arrived and arrested him.

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Two men have been charged with firing nearly a dozen shots at three Pittsburgh-area police officers who were following them in February. Court documents indicate that 19-year-old Ezra Michael Grant of Greensburg and 18-year-old J’Lamar Jeremiah Washington of Pittsburgh face charges including attempted homicide and assault on a law enforcement officer in the Feb. 4 shooting. The Tribune-Review reports that no one was seriously hurt. Detectives said Grant denied shooting at the van. Court documents don’t list defense attorneys and listed numbers for them couldn’t be found Saturday.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

Features

(AP) —  Millions of Americans are set to emerge from coronavirus lockdowns and venture outdoors to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at beaches, cookouts and family outings. But public health officials have deep concerns that large gatherings could cause outbreaks to come roaring back. Medical experts warn the virus won’t take a holiday for the unofficial start of summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying home, avoiding crowds and connecting with family by phone or video chat. Specialists advise those who celebrate to maintain social distancing, wear masks and avoid sharing food and drinks.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

Sports

(AP) —  Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are getting ready for another made-for-TV match, this time with friends from the NFL. Woods and Peyton Manning take on Mickelson and Tom Brady in what’s being billed as “The Match: Champions for Charity.” It will be the second straight Sunday live golf is on TV. The purpose is to raise $10 million for COVID-19 relief efforts and to provide entertainment. Another big appeal is seeing golf’s biggest star on TV again. Woods was last seen on Feb. 16 at Riviera when he shot weekend rounds of 76 and 77 and finished last at the Genesis Invitational.

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Linebacker Anthony Chickillo has agreed to a contract with the New Orleans Saints after playing the last five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal was announced Saturday by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Chickillo is changing teams for the first time. He was drafted in the sixth round by Pittsburgh in 2015. He played in 11 games for the Steelers last season.

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July. It’s the clearest sign yet that the NBA believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the site would be used for practices and housing as well.

PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) — Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested in Southern California on Friday. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the second player taken in the 1998 draft was taken into custody on a domestic battery charge in Palm Desert, about 110 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Leaf was being held on $5,000 bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. Leaf finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 1997 and led Washington State to the Rose Bowl. Drafted by the Chargers, he won just four of 18 games as a starter in three seasons with the team.

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals have changed their plans for a virtual World Series ring ceremony after players decided they would rather wait until they could reunite in person to receive their new jewelry. The Nationals previously announced they were going to give out the rings during a show broadcast on television and online. They still plan to unveil the design of the ring Sunday, the anniversary of the date they began their turnaround from a 19-31 record to World Series champs.

UNDATED (AP) — Canada’s NHL teams have offered season ticket-holders rebate or refund options in acknowledgment that no more 2019-20 regular-season games will be played in front of fans in their respective buildings. The Canadian Press says all seven teams contacted their season ticket bases last week with options and/or deadlines to make a decision. Leagues and teams around the world are either playing in empty stadiums or trying to figure out a way to just resume play during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STERLING, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump played golf Saturday for the first time since he declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency more than two months ago. The golf outing came a day after Trump said houses of worship are “essential” and he demanded that governors allow them to reopen during the holiday weekend. Photographs that appeared on Twitter showed him swinging a golf club and driving alone in a cart on the course at his private Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — NASCAR is back, but without fans, flyovers or other frills. South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway opened its 70-year-old gates today to let the stock car series roar again and the revenue start to flow again. As part of a meticulously planned health protocol, a checkpoint at the gate allowed pre-approved personnel into the infield after a health screening. Once inside NASCAR’s designated footprint, no one may exit. NASCAR hasn’t raced in 10 weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and has set an aggressive revised schedule of 20 events in seven Southern states between now and June 21.

UNDATED (AP) — Live golf returns to television today with a four-man charity Skins game at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, to benefit coronavirus relief. It features Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff, carrying their own bags. The only rake will be carried by a rules official. Another rules official will be the only person to handle the flagstick, if necessary. It will be the first live action on TV since the opening round of The Players Championship on March 12.

BERLIN (AP) — German soccer champion Bayern Munich has returned to action for the first time in more than two months with a league game at Union Berlin. Bayern last played on March 8 before the Bundesliga (BOON’-dehsh-lee-guh) was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league resumed competition yesterday. Bayern can go four points clear of second-place Borussia Dortmund with a win as it chases an eighth successive German title.

UNDATED (AP) — Russia has relaxed border restrictions for athletes and coaches in a move that will help soccer to restart in the country next month. Since March, Russia has barred most foreign arrivals in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Now the government says athletes and coaches will be allowed in if they have a contract with a Russian sports team or organization. They will have to spend 14 days in isolation on arrival and will be observed by doctors.

HOUSTON (AP) — Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver has been arrested in the Houston area and charged with drunk driving and illegally carrying a gun. Local media outlets reported that Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies pulled Oliver over last night after receiving reports of someone driving recklessly in a construction area north of the city. Sheriff’s officials say deputies found an open beer and a pistol in Oliver’s truck.

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WARREN, Mich. — Former Michigan State basketball player Keith Appling was charged with drug crimes after authorities say they found heroin in his vehicle that he planned to sell.

Appling, 28, was arraigned Wednesday in a Warren courtroom on charges of delivery or manufacture of less than 50 grams of a controlled substance. Prosecutors said officers last Saturday found 19 grams, or a “golf ball sized” amount of heroin in a bag that was in a storage pocket behind the front passenger seat, The Macomb Daily reported. At the time of his arrest, Appling was on parole after serving jail time for gun and resisting-arrest charges.

According to court records, Appling plans to hire a lawyer. The Associated Press on Saturday called the number for an attorney who represented him during his last criminal case, but there was no answer.

His next hearing is set for Feb. 25.

• 

Assistant Macomb County Prosecutor Derek Miller told the newspaper that the amount of heroin found in the vehicle could have provided dozens of “hits” to drug users. He described the situation as “an unfortunate set of circumstances for someone who … played on outstanding basketball teams at MSU and brought joy to a lot of people.” Appling, who was named Mr. Basketball in 2010 as the state’s top high school player, played for Michigan State from 2010-2014.

Appling and another former Michigan State player were named in a 2010 report of sexual assault, according to a 2018 Outside the Lines report. No charges were filed, and the case drew local media coverage and prompted campus protests.

Appling had two brief contracts with the Orlando Magic. More recently, he played professionally for teams in the Dominican Republic and Argentina.