AVON, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut school board has approved a settlement of a lawsuit that accused four educators of indoctrinating three sisters into a religious cult that celebrates death.

The insurer for Avon High School will pay the $62,500 settlement, Avon School Superintendent Bridget Carnemolla said Thursday.

"The decision to settle the claim was made for purely business reasons only," Carnemolla said.

She said she could not comment further on the deal, which was approved by the town's school board on Tuesday.

The sisters' parents sued the school district, three teachers and a guidance counselor in federal court in 2014. They alleged educators at the school indoctrinated their daughters into a cult, causing them to suffer severe personality changes, become secretive and speak a strange language.

The names of the parents and their daughters were kept secret during the court proceedings. The sisters were ages 22, 19 and 16 when the lawsuit was filed. They were indoctrinated while attending Avon High School, the lawsuit alleged.

The two older daughters were "indoctrinated into a religious cult that promotes martyrdom and celebrates death," and that caused them to experience "fantasies of suicide ideation and martyrdom," the suit alleged. The cult wasn't named. The youngest sister also was targeted for indoctrination by the educators, but she eventually "broke free," the suit said.

School officials denied the allegations.

The lawsuit alleged the girls' civil and constitutional rights were violated and sought undisclosed damages.

Court documents filed in December said the two older daughters had reunited with their parents and agreed to participate in family counseling.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Warren Hervey Wheeler was only 15 when he fell in love with flying.

An airplane salesman flew to Durham to try to sell his sister and her boyfriend a small plane.

Wheeler, the son of the now-deceased John H. Wheeler who led Durham-based Mechanics and Farmers Bank and was a leading civil rights and political figure, reluctantly tagged along on the demonstration flight.

"I didn't want to go," said Wheeler, who was more interested in boating at the time. "When we came down, they didn't buy the airplane but I was sold on flying."

Fast forward nearly 60 years, and Wheeler, one of the nation's first black commercial pilots, the first African American to fly for Piedmont Airlines and the first to own and operate an air service in the U.S. -- Wheeler Airlines -- until its closure in 1991, is still in love with flying.

Wheeler Airlines carried some 40,000 passengers per year in its 1980s heyday.

Wheeler, now 74, doesn't get to fly much these days, but he's sharing his knowledge, resources and love of flying with area students as part of the Airolina Young Aviators Program (AYA). The nonprofit is a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program for high school students in Durham.

Wheeler said the program can help students perform better in the classroom.

"No, you just have to want to fly," Wheeler answered when asked if students had to be super smart in math to learn to fly. "You just have to want to fly, then the part you may not be so good at in school, you'll become good in it because you want to fly."

Wheeler said it took him a while to realize that what he was learning in flight school was math being taught in a different way.

"I'm doing these equations and triangles to figure out where the wind is and everything else, and I realize that, wait, this is geometry," Wheeler said. "When you gave it to me in a book and said this is geometry, learn this, it was boring and I couldn't figure it out. But when they gave it to me as a practical problem, the wind versus the course, and then all of sudden, it made sense. I fault the school system for not making math interesting and relevant."

In AYA, students receive introductory flight training, mentoring and can earn a basic (Private) Pilot Certificate after they complete the four-year program, which they start as high school freshmen. The program is in its third year, so no student has yet earned a pilot's license.

And while the program is open to all students, Wheeler believes its important to help prepare the next generation of black aviators for the opportunities that will present themselves over the next two decades as thousands of commercial pilots reach the mandatory retirement age of 65.

In the next 20 years, airlines in North America are going to need 117,000 new pilots, according to industry reports. In the past, the airlines could rely on the military and regional airlines to fill pilot jobs, but they too are struggling to find and keep aviators.

"That's not known," Wheeler said of the looming pilot shortage. "This shortage of pilots is coming and the opportunity that comes with it. Just tell me how many opportunities do kids have coming out of high school and going into college and coming out of college that will produce the returns that this one will."

Commercial airline pilots can earn good pay, particularly at the larger airlines. According to Glassdoor, a website where employees and former employees anonymously review companies and their management, the average U.S. airline pilot salary is $113,709. The larger airlines such as American, Delta and United Airlines pay more.

Wheeler said American Airlines, the nation's largest, will retire about 40 percent of its pilots over the next 15 years. He said that's less than the time it would take a freshman in his program this year to become qualified for one of those jobs.

"He's sitting there, they have to hire him," Wheeler said. "That's the best sales pitch I have."

But learning to fly is expensive, and once students move to the phase of training where they actually board an airplane for lessons, it can become too costly for many families.

AYA has stepped in to help defray the costs, but has found that increasingly difficult to do in recent months.

"We started off trying to pay for the flying training, but once we go to the airport, we have to try to get the families to come up with something," Wheeler said. "We can supplement it but we can't provide it for everybody. We have eight kids who should be out there flying every week but we can't do it."

Today, flying lessons cost about $180 an hour, compared to the $14 an hour Wheeler paid for lessons after he caught the flying bug in the early 1960s.

At $180 an hour, it would cost a student $7,200 to earn a basic pilot's license. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires 40 hours of flight time in addition to passing the FAA Private Pilot written exam and the Private Pilot Oral and Practical (Flying) Exam to earn a pilot's license.

AYA has 22 students in its program now, eight of whom are either taking flying lessons or eligible to do so. The others practice on a flight simulator in the basement of the Hayti Heritage Center on Fayetteville Street.

Jordan Griffith, a junior at Hillside High School, already has a little more than 60 hours of flying time under his belt and holds a student pilot certificate, which allows him to fly solo, but he cannot carry passengers. He hopes to earn his full pilot's license this summer.

Griffith, whose license plate reads, "BLK Pilot," made his first solo flight last summer and first solo flight across North Carolina in January.

"It was a little nerve wracking, but once I leveled off and became comfortable in the air, I knew what I was doing and my instructor trained me well, it became easier," Griffith said, shortly before he demonstrated a short flight on the simulator. "There were no mishaps. Everything went as planned and the flight was a success."

Griffith most recently flew solo to Kinston, Wilmington and back.

"That flight alone cost over $400 for a four-hour flight," Griffith said. "That was a big expense but I was able to do it myself because I have money saved in advance."

AYA was helping Griffith with his expenses, but had to stop about two months ago because it no longer had the money to do so.

"The program was helping but that got cut off and I've been paying on my own," Griffith said "I have money saved up and I'm able to do that and finish on my own."

Griffith said that he is fortunate to be able pay for his flying lessons en route to what he hopes turns into a career as a commercial pilot after he graduates college.

He wants the students in the program coming behind him to have the same opportunity.

"Any donation to the program would definitely be a great help to other students who may not be able to pay for their own flying lessons," Griffith said.

Griffith said he would like to see Durham Public Schools offer an aviation program, but only to students who are serious about pursuing aviation as a career.

"There's such a big focus on going to college but more attention needs to be paid on careers and what students are going to do after college," Griffith said. "No one seems to know what they want to do after college. That's what I think DPS should be focused on."

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Information from: The Herald-Sun, http://www.herald-sun.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The results of the latest Nation's Report Card are in and the news isn't good.

Fourth-graders made no improvements in math or reading, while eighth-graders' scores were flat in math and only slightly improved in reading, according to results released Tuesday on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Overall, only roughly a third of American eighth-graders are proficient in reading and math along with about 40 percent of fourth-graders.

The figures are in line with recent trends. Students made big gains in the 1990s and early 2000s, but there have been no major improvements since then.

The results show that racial disparities persist. African-American students were out-performed by their white peers at both grade levels.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says the country needs to do better for its students, citing the stagnating reading and math scores.

"More alarmingly, the gap between the highest and lowest performing students is widening," DeVos added.

She singled out Florida's results for praise. Fourth-graders there improved in math, and eighth-graders had gains in both math and reading.

DeVos said Florida has a strong publicly funded charter and private school program — a strong priority for the Trump administration.

"Florida's results show what is possible when we focus on individual students," DeVos said.

In eighth grade, the average U.S. reading score was 267 out of 500, 1 point higher than in 2015, but 7 points higher than when the reading test was first administered in 1992. For math, the average score was 283, similar to two years before.

Peggy Carr, associate commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics, said the increase for eighth-grade reading was due to improvement among higher-performing students. Lower-performing students had similar results in 2017 as in 2015.

The picture was different for fourth-graders. Low-performing students did worse in math and reading, while higher-performing students stayed at the same level.

"There is still much work to be done to close achievement gaps and ensure that our young people are ready for success in college, careers and life," said Carissa Miller, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. "It is clear we as a country must do better by all of our students, especially our lowest-performing kids."

The results were the first since the test was changed from paper to computer-based.

States that saw improvements in eighth-grade reading included California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Washington. Meanwhile, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Louisiana, among others, saw lower results for fourth-grade math.

NBA-PLAYOFF PICTURE

Only one spot left

UNDATED (AP) — There's only one spot left in the NBA playoffs, and it'll go to either Minnesota or Denver.

New Orleans, San Antonio and Oklahoma City all clinched playoff berths by winning on Monday night. The Spurs did so for the 21st consecutive year, tying Portland for the second-longest run in NBA history and moving one shy of tying Philadelphia's league record.

Monday's triple-clinchings didn't change the standings; the order of the top eight remains the same, going into the next-to-last day of the regular season. But it won't saty that way.

Portland and Utah can still get to No. 3. The Blazers, Jazz, Pelicans, Thunder and Spurs are in the mix for No. 4. The Spurs could also fall as far as No. 8. The Thunder, who are in seventh, cannot finish seventh. There's at least a dozen more scenarios.

In the East, five seeds remain unclaimed. Cleveland won the Central Division and locked Indiana into the No. 5 seed with a win at New York.

Milwaukee is now up to No. 6 in the East, flip-flopping spots with now-No. 7 Miami. The Bucks beat Orlando, while the Heat lost to the Thunder.

The Bucks wrap up No. 6 with a win at Philadelphia on Wednesday night. But the 76ers will go into the final day with a chance at the No. 3 spot, regardless of whether they win in Atlanta on Tuesday.

MLB-NEWS

Cubs place 1B Rizzo on DL with back tightness

UNDATED (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have placed first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the 10-day disabled list with lower back tightness.

The move was made retroactive to Friday. Infielder/outfielder Efren Navarro was promoted from Triple-A Iowa to take Rizzo's spot on the roster.

The 28-year-old Rizzo is a key part of Chicago's lineup, hitting 32 homers and driving in 109 runs in each of the past two years. He is off to a slow start this season, batting .107 in his first six games.

The Cubs announced the move before Tuesday's home opener against Pittsburgh.

Navarro is a .243 hitter with three homers and 22 RBIs in 153 career major league games with the Angels and Tigers.

In other baseball news:

— Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo says he regrets his choice of words that set off St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina and triggered a benches-clearing incident. Lovullo came out of the dugout to argue with plate umpire Tim Timmons in St. Louis on Sunday. He blamed the umpire for a called third strike he claimed was influenced by the All-Star catcher's pitch framing. Lovullo used a profanity that set off Molina, and the manager was ejected. Lovullo says he "made a mistake with some of the wording" that he used.

— Pirates closer Felipe Rivero has changed his name to Felipe Vazquez. Vazquez told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he legally changed his surname to match that of his sister, Prescilla. He says his uniform will reflect the change soon. He apologized on Twitter to fans who purchased his No. 73 jersey with his name on the back.

TENNIS-WILLIAMS SISTERS-EQUAL PAY

Venus, Serena Williams join Billie Jean King equal pay push

UNDATED (AP) — Venus and Serena Williams are adding their names and voices to the push for equal pay championed by the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative.

The two current tennis stars are joining the advisory board of the group founded by the former player.

Tuesday's announcement about the sisters was timed to coincide with Equal Pay Day, which approximates how far into a new year a woman must work to earn what a man made by the previous Dec. 31.

Says King: "Venus has always had the courage to step up. And Serena's the same way. They step up."

Venus Williams played a vocal role in Wimbledon's decision to start awarding equal prize money to men and women in 2007.

She calls King "a prime example" that "your work on this earth never ends as long as there is inequality."

WRESTLING TEAM-ABUSE ALLEGATION

Lawsuit: Catholic school covered up wrestling coaches abuse

ORADELL, N.J. (AP) — A former wrestler has sued his Catholic high school, claiming the New Jersey school and church officials conspired to cover up sexual and verbal abuse in its nationally recognized wrestling program.

The suit filed Monday alleges Bergen Catholic High School wrestling coaches shared pornographic images with team members, watched wrestlers strip naked and sent athletes inappropriate text messages. It also claims school and Archdiocese of Newark officials worked to shield the coaches.

In a statement issued Monday, Brother Brian Walsh — president of the school in Oradell — said the suit was "based on allegations that are unfounded, frivolous and untrue." He said the school would vigorously defend itself.

School and archdiocese officials say they reported the abuse allegations to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office when they learned about them.

PISTORIUS-APPEAL DISMISSED

South African court dismisses Pistorius appeal

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Legal experts say Olympian Oscar Pistorius has finally run out of options to appeal his 13-year prison sentence for the murder of his girlfriend.

South Africa's highest court dismissed Pistorius' request to review the prison sentence on Monday, closing a five-year legal saga surrounding the man who was once one of the world's most celebrated athletes.

Last year, the Supreme Court of Appeal more than doubled Pistorius' six-year sentence for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot four times through a locked bathroom door in his home on Valentine's Day 2013.

OLYMPICS-TOKYO 2020-TORCH RELAY

2020 torch relay to highlight Japan's recovery from disaster

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Olympic organizers say the torch relay for the 2020 Games will help showcase Japan's recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Upon its arrival in Japan, the Olympic flame will be put on display at various locations in the Tohoku region to help underscore Japan's recovery from the disaster that took more than 18,000 lives and triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The torch relay will spend three days in Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi, the three prefectures hit hardest by the disaster.

While reconstruction from the disaster is making steady progress, more than 70,000 people are still displaced from their communities.

The relay will also spend three days in each of the four prefectures hosting multiple competitions during the Olympics and 15 days in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

While the precise starting point and route has yet to be announced, the torch relay will cover all 47 prefectures in Japan.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Public Schools have agreed to a land swap with the city's professional soccer team so the club can build a new $200 million stadium on the site where a high school stadium now sits.

The school board approved the swap Tuesday. As part of the deal, FC Cincinnati agreed to build Taft High School a new $10 million stadium near the school's current stadium in the city's west end.

The deal is contingent on the minor league team getting an invitation to join Major League Soccer.

The school board initially rejected the offer because the team was seeking to make reduced property tax payments on the new stadium. The team later agreed to pay about $25 million over the life of the stadium.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — To most spectators, the term "Olympics" means world-class swimming competitions, downhill skiing or the 100-meter dash.

But near the Arctic Circle, a different type of Olympics for young people pays homage to the region's subsistence hunters and the methods they've used for centuries to feed their families and stay alive in harsh conditions.

This week, more than 400 high school students from across Alaska will gather in Anchorage for the Native Youth Olympics state championships, where 10 events will test their strength, endurance and agility.

The games include the Seal Hop, where competitors bounce for as long as they can on their knuckles and toes, mimicking the act of sneaking up on a sleeping seal; the Indian Stick Pull, where two contestants fight for a greased dowel, simulating grabbing a slippery salmon from the water by the tail; and the Scissor Broad Jump, a half-long-jump, half-scissor-kick event that replicates leaping from one ice floe to the next in the Arctic Ocean.

Towns and villages in Canada, Greenland and Russia also have Native Youth Olympics. Participants compete locally and at larger international gatherings such as the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics and the Arctic Winter Games.

The events teach competitors to respect their fellow athletes, which can have real-life applications in the circumpolar north, where severe weather can force people to rely on each other.

Athletes do not compete against each other as much as they always try for their personal best, and it's tradition for competitors in the same event to give each other pointers and encouragement. So is always shaking hands with opponents and judges.

Students do not have to be Alaska Native to compete in the Alaska Games, even though the events are designed from cultural activities, said Tim Blume, spokesman for Cook Inlet Tribal Council, an Anchorage-based nonprofit organization that organizes the games.

"That's really the catalyst of sharing the culture and creating awareness of the differences for all the attendees and the students to share their unique heritage, and learn a little about each other and come together under the aspect of sportsmanship," he said.

The Alaska Games draw athletes from towns and villages across the nation's largest state, including a team from Juneau — the first competitors from the state capital in nearly three decades.

Coach Kyle Demientieff-Worl, himself a highly decorated athlete from national and international competitions, is bringing 10 athletes from Juneau in his inaugural team.

He is trying to reinvigorate Native Youth Olympics in Juneau, where it's had a presence at the grade school level but nothing in higher grades in nearly 30 years. He recruits and encourages students at both of Juneau's high schools and began organizing the first team late last year. He raised money for the team's pricy trip to Anchorage, and even made posters on his downtime.

His uncle, Ricardo, was coach when Juneau fielded its last team, around 1990, when athletes' interest waned.

"Kyle took the games here in Juneau to a whole new level right out of the gate," his uncle said. "In that short amount of time, he was able to make all these major accomplishments."

Among those financially supporting the team is the Sealaska Heritage Institute, a Juneau nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and enhance the cultures of southeast Alaska's Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes. Its president, Rosita Worl (Ricardo's mother and Kyle's grandmother), said a survey of more than 400 Native Youth Olympics athletes from across Alaska found a connection to social development, academic achievement and good cross-cultural relationships among native and non-native populations.

"And I said, 'We've got to have it here,'" she said.

One of Juneau's team members is Bryan Johnson, an 18-year-old senior. He joined for a simple reason: In his first three years of high school, he didn't really participate in any sports.

"I didn't do anything, so I'm like, 'I kind of need to get moving,'" he said.

Johnson, who is part Tlingit and part Filipino, was soon feeling the burn. "It's using muscles that you normally wouldn't use, and since I'm just kind of getting into it, I'm starting to really work out all the parts of my body to get a little higher each time," he said.

That was his goal in January, after he picked up a few second-place medals in kicking events.

"I really want to try and keep pushing myself and getting higher," he said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mick Ruis packed his suitcases for his first trip to the Kentucky Derby as an owner and trainer.

The 57-year-old high school dropout stuffed more than clothing and toiletries in his bags. He feels so strongly about Bolt d'Oro's chances — the colt is the co-fourth choice at 8-1 — Ruis packed plenty of cash.

"When he dropped from first to fifth or sixth now after he lost the Santa Anita Derby, every week I just put more money in a suitcase to come here to bet on him Saturday," Ruis said. "That's how confident we are."

Ruis said he also wagered $1,200 on Bolt d'Oro in Las Vegas when he was 40-1 last year.

"But you can't put a money value on winning the race," he said.

Ruis is an anomaly in the sport because he owns, trains and handles much of the work around the barn, all with his horses.

He first came to love racing on a 1979 visit to Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico. Leaving high school, he worked his way up from entry level positions in construction and shoring. He started his first company with $3,000 and sold it six years later for $2.5 million.

Ruis used the stake to go into training and racing thoroughbreds, but crashed out in the middle of the last decade. He earned $467,981 in purses over three years before finding himself $1 million in debt. "Never worked so hard to lose so much money in my life," he said.

He turned full-time attention to his San Diego-based company American Scaffolding, which has contracts on ships in five states and with the Navy. Driven to find a path back into racing, he built up the company and sold it for a reported $78 million two years ago while keeping a 20 percent stake.

Ruis is faring much better his second time back in the sport.

He spent about $2 million on horses to get Ruis Racing underway. One of his purchases — for $635,000 — in 2016 was Bolt d'Oro, named for retired Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt and the colt's sire Medaglia d'Oro.

Some of his family is along for the ride, including wife Wendy. The couple married 23 years ago after knowing each other for three weeks. He was divorced with three kids and she was widowed with two. Together, they had two more. His 25-year-old daughter, Shelbe, is his assistant.

Most owners with a horse in the Derby for the first time revel in seeing their silks during the post parade as the 100,000-strong crowd sings "My Old Kentucky Home."

Once again, Ruis is going his own way.

Jockey Victor Espinoza will wear the colors of Spendthrift Farm aboard Bolt d'Oro on Saturday. Ruis sold 50 percent of the colt's future breeding rights to 84-year-old Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes, while keeping the rest for himself. The change in Derby silks was a gift to Hughes, the billionaire owner of Public Storage.

"I'm not in here to be the center of attention," Ruis said.

He admits the hubbub of his first Derby week has been stressful.

"You're thinking about the high, what could be," he said.

To escape, Ruis went back to his roots. He headed across the Ohio River to visit a wrestling club in New Albany, Indiana, on Wednesday. A gold medalist in the Junior Pan Am Games as a high school wrestler, Ruis likes to quote Olympic champion Dan Gable and credits the sport for teaching him a work ethic and respect.

He spoke to the group of boys ranging from age seven to 18 and then donated $10,000 to their club.

"They're building character," he said. "These guys will make it out in the world."

Ruis wasn't done, either.

If Bolt d'Oro wins the Derby, he promised to hand over $50,000. The winning owner receives $1.43 million.

"I got a bunch of guys rooting for Bolt to win," Ruis said, smiling.

After the colt's morning workout, Ruis headed out of town to decompress Thursday, this time down Interstate 64 to Lexington, where he bought a farm near Keeneland.

A Derby win can generate more clients with good horses for a trainer. But Ruis isn't interested.

"Right now, we're really happy where we're at," he said, anticipating the 20 yearlings he has coming into his stable.

However, he would like to see other owners expand their choice of trainers beyond the sport's big names of Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen and Chad Brown.

"There's so many good horsemen on the backside, give some of these guys a chance back here," Ruis said. "I don't understand why these mega-owners just go with the big name. I don't think it's the best thing for racing."

While careful not to criticize the high-profile trainers, Ruis sees himself as the person to stand up for the little guys.

"I would hope if we do good, that's the message Bolt d'Oro can give," he said.

Ruis isn't planning much of an upgrade to his trademark white T-shirt and jeans for Derby day. He took advantage of a buy-one-get-one-free deal at a men's store and will wear a $220 sport coat over the shirt.

Explaining his attire to his wife, he said, "I made my money with a white T-shirt."

She replied, "The rest of us are going to look good."

They all will if their colt is in the winner's circle wearing the garland of red roses.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey high school is facing heat from students and parents over a new policy that either everyone makes the cheerleading squad or no one does.

Hanover Park High School in East Hanover enacted the change after a parent complained his or her child didn't make the team after tryouts last month.

The school says the goal is to make the squad more inclusive. But student Stephanie Krueger recently told board of education members all her hard work "has been thrown out the window."

Some parents say when they complained about the new policy the principal threatened to disband the 10-member squad.

The board is reviewing the policy. It's unclear when a final decision will be made.

NAGRIG, Egypt (AP) — The cafe began to fill up more than two hours before kickoff. By the time the match began, some 200 men and boys — some as young as five — huddled around two large TV screens at a cafe Mohamed Salah frequents when he's back visiting his village deep in Egypt's Nile Delta.

Salah didn't score, but almost everyone at the cafe let out a joyous scream and clapped enthusiastically at the final whistle: Liverpool, the English club for which Salah has scored more than 40 goals since he joined this season, has reached the final of the Champions League for the first time since 2007. On the night, Liverpool lost 4-2 to Roma, but advanced 7-6 on aggregate to set up a clash with Real Madrid in the May 26 final in Kiev.

"We are victorious, we are victorious," screamed a boy at the end of a game that induced everyone in the cafe to carry a deeply anxious look as Roma kept on chipping away at Liverpool's first leg lead. "Come on Salah!" and "run, Salah!" they implored the 25-year-old every time he had the ball.

The scene at the cafe in Salah's village of Nagrig has been duplicated across this country of 100 million ever since the winger rose to global stardom after joining Liverpool from Roma last summer and almost single handedly led Egypt to qualify for this summer's World Cup in Russia, the country's first appearance in the tournament since 1990.

There is perhaps no place in Egypt that shows more passion for the English Premier League and the Champions League than Nagrig, a typical Nile delta village where water buffalos, cows and donkeys share dirt roads with cars, motorbikes and horse-drawn carts. Many of the village's teenagers play barefooted and the pitch in the youth center where Salah is known to have played the game as a young boy is strewn with litter and accessible through a collapsed part of its outer wall.

"Five or six years ago, only a few people in the village were interested in European football," said Shady Dawoud, a 30-year-old man from Nagrig and a distant Salah relative. Speaking as he watched the May 2 Roma-Liverpool match, he said: "Now, almost the entire village, old and young alike, know about Liverpool and Roma as well as the schedule for Salah's matches."

"So much has changed here because of Salah, may God protect him."

The adulation is on clear display. A large number of children and teenagers wear Salah jerseys, his image is on a wall mural at the village's sports and youth center and residents are deeply appreciative of their hero and protective of his name.

Salah, residents boast with pride, has poured millions of pounds into the village, with the beneficiaries' list including a school, a mosque, the youth center, a dialysis machine at a nearby hospital and financial aid to poor families. His success as a footballer in Europe's most attractive league has inspired many parents in Nagrig, as elsewhere in Egypt, to send their children to football academies in the hope that maybe one day they can emulate his success.

"He has done so much for the village. Some things that people know about, and many things that people just don't know anything about," said Ibrahim Ramadan, who owns an eatery at Nagrig. "Honestly, his family has not changed one bit since Salah became a star. They are still humble."

But Salah's impact in Egypt goes way beyond the money he has poured into his village or the 5 million Egyptian pounds (nearly $285,000) he donated to a development fund set up by Egypt's leader, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

This year, his image is on lanterns which are traditionally given to children or used as an ornament during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which has just begun. Traders have given his name to a kind of date, which many Muslims eat to break their dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramadan. His appearance in a short film supporting a government anti-drugs campaign has sent through the roof the number of calls addicts made to help lines. In downtown Cairo, a cafe with a giant wall mural of him has become a major attraction, and the definitive image of the adulation he enjoys.

But more importantly, many Egyptians and commentators believe Salah — the second of three children born to a government employee — is giving his compatriots hope and joy at a time when the majority is struggling to make ends meet amid acute economic hardships caused by an ambitious economic reform program to revive the battered economy.

"Salah is no longer just a talented and skilled football player. He is a symbol of efficiency, thoroughness, respect, learning, morals and moderate religion," wrote Imad Hussein, editor of the independent Al-Shorouk daily. "He presents a glowing picture of Egyptians, Arabs and Muslims. It's an image that most of us are incapable of offering."

Anecdotally, many Egyptians believe that some of the 1.76 million spoilt ballots in presidential elections held in March were invalidated because voters scribbled Salah's name as their choice. The unusually large number of invalid ballots was more than twice the votes that went to el-Sissi's challenger, a little-known politician who supports the president, and are widely believed to have been spoilt as a form of protest against the government. El-Sissi won the election with 97 percent of the votes.

Last month, Egyptians rallied behind Salah in a commercial dispute with Egypt's soccer association over the use of his image, declaring their support for the player on social media networks and seizing the chance to air criticism of the association and the government.

"The goals he scores ease the burden of living under these tough economic conditions," said Maher Said, a 50-year-old security guard in Cairo. "Watching him play helps me get over tough days."

Another Egyptian, 30-year-old engineer Shereef Suliman, said: "Salah has virtually become the only thing that gives people hope and pride that they are Egyptians."

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Associated Press writers Menna Zaki and Samy Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Eighth-grade teacher Ari Mascarenhas could have picked high-tech gadgets or modern apps to help his students learn Portuguese, but he instead went old school with the World Cup sticker book.

He's been a fan since 1986 — when he was 8 — and the attraction for the collectibles has trickled down generations and endured for adults who still trade the stickers in Brazil, the United States and other countries.

Mascarenhas said his soccer-loving students develop critical language skills by studying every part of the 80-page book filled with team rosters, country flags and historical info. They read stats, names and other information while associating it with colors, illustrations and other visual cues.

"With the sticker book they see that language goes beyond verbal. I loved the way they interacted swapping stickers, so I thought this year I could use an analog cue in this digital world," said Mascarenhas, a teacher at German-Brazilian Colegio Humboldt in Sao Paulo.

The book's popularity has spread as the World Cup nears its opening in Russia on June 14, despite sticker prices nearly doubling in some countries, including Brazil. That led to some grumbling in the South American nation, which has been in a financial crisis for the past three years with widespread poverty. Still, most of the 7 million sticker books put on the market quickly sold.

Panini, the Italian collectibles company that publishes the books, declined to say how profitable the World Cup books are, but the company itself had revenue of 631 million euros ($743 million U.S. dollars) in 2016, with products sold in more than 120 countries. Brazil is the largest market for the sticker books, followed by the United States with its sizable Latino population and England.

The allure for the books is similar to baseball or Pokemon cards — challenging fans to complete the set. Each book has spots for 681 stickers depicting things like stadiums, players, host cities and the stickers themselves are sold in packs of six.

The days leading up to the tournament have become crunch time for collectors.

Actress Bruna Marquezine, the girlfriend of Brazil superstar Neymar, noticed high demand of stickers depicting the superstar. So she decided to swap stickers autographed by her boyfriend for those she still needs.

"I know this is cheating a little, but I will not have my sticker book incomplete this time," Marquezine joked on social media as she lured swappers.

Experts say fans would need to buy about 970 packs to fill their books without trades, because of the rarity of some of the stickers, though Panini CEO Mark Warsop said there's no difference in the frequency of stickers.

Mathematics professor Sebastião de Amorim of the Universidade de Campinas said some stickers being hard to find is part of what makes collecting them enticing. Some are even sold at inflated prices.

"The minimum figure to complete the album is of 137 packages, but the odds of getting that, especially because some stickers are harder to find, are the same of winning the lottery," De Amorim said.

Panini is also hoping that a digital, mobile version of its paper product gains steam, like Pokemon and other titles that have proven popular in multiple formats.

Panini's sticker book app was downloaded more than 1.5 million times, introducing new ways to get stickers for users, including product placements. Warsop said he thinks it will pick up during future World Cups.

"The nice thing about the digital is that you can also swap and trade wherever you are, he said. "We want people to trade even if they are not in the same place."

Widespread use might be a ways off for adults who are currently introducing the hobby to kids.

"I can't sell my stickers there (on the app). People want paper," said salesman Renato Chaves, who took a van with more than 4,000 stickers to sell outside Brazil's training camp in Teresopolis, outside Rio de Janeiro.

Georgia Bulgackov, a 13-year-old student learning from the sticker book in Sao Paulo, said it's amazing to learn from a toy.

"What we love is to mix learning with something from our daily life, that made me understand more what the teacher wanted," she said.

Mascarenhas, her teacher, said he hopes his pupils can stretch their interaction with the sticker book to other parts of their lives.

"There are not many products that bring people together. In such a divisive world we can still swap, trade and have something in common," he said.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman has pleaded guilty to falsely enrolling foreign teens sought by basketball recruiters and coaches in her small private school.

WSOC-TV reports that Evelyn Mack faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to a felony charge of concealing, harboring or shielding unlawful aliens. A federal indictment says she took about $1,000 per student from recruiters to falsely represent around 75 teens as students in Evelyn Mack Academy.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the school, which she's run since 2000, was authorized to enroll high school students under F1 visas. The indictment says she entered false information into the Department of Homeland Security system to avoid detection by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Court records show Mack turned herself in March 2.

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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James wore a tailored, slim-fitting, gray designer suit and black-rimmed glasses. He wanted to make a strong impression on the first day of school.

After all, it's his school.

Hoping to inspire and provide support to kids facing the same problems he experienced during a rough childhood, James officially opened the I Promise School, a cutting-edge center built in a partnership with the NBA star's family foundation and Akron City Schools.

As the Goodyear blimp soared over him, James reminded a crowd that included family, friends and fans who will now watch him play for the Los Angeles Lakers after four more mesmerizing seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, that he's one of them.

Just a kid from Akron.

"I know exactly what these 240 kids are going through," he said, referring to the third- and fourth-graders who comprise the school's first classes. "I know the ups the downs. I know everything they dream about. I know all the nightmares they have, because I've been there."

Long before he became a globally celebrated sports celebrity and three-time champion, James was a lost little boy growing up without a father and wondering where his life was headed. He and his mom, Gloria, struggled for years. There was little money and less structure.

They moved constantly, and there were long periods when James didn't attend school — he missed 82 days in fourth grade — because Gloria didn't have a car and there was no other way of transportation.

"We didn't have stability day to day where I didn't know where I was going to be living, so it was no way that I could even get there," he said. "So, it was a surprise to me when I woke up and I was actually going to school. So, I just felt like every day I was just waking up and I had just a bunch of time of nothing. There were just a lot of empty days, empty nights and just kind of a no future thought process.

"I was just kind of living in the moment, so, that's just how it was."

His past is shaping the future for others.

James has modeled the school, and so many other education initiatives started by Michele Campbell, executive director of The LeBron James Family Foundation, to combat the obstacles he faced. He's giving at-risk children, some with learning disabilities and others from broken homes, opportunities they couldn't have imagined, including food and other amenities.

The I Promise School's curriculum is centered around the foundation's "We Are Family" philosophy, an encompassing approach that allows for student growth and family development. The school follows a non-traditional schedule with year-round programming and days that began at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.

The school, which will expand to include grades 1-8 by 2020, also has a resource center that helps families "navigate daily challenges and facilitate long-term planning," and parents of I Promise students can earn their GEDs or high school diplomas.

It's cutting-edge, daring and potentially a template for inner-city schools around the country. James has already seen success stories with kids who began in his I Promise program in 2011.

"I've had kids come up to me and say, 'I was part of your program when you had the bike-a-thon and now I'm on my way to Akron U, or I'm on my way to Kent State,'" James said. "And they just thank me and they thank us. They thank me for the structure and what we've been able to do for them. Like half the battle is the kids just having someone that they are like, 'Oh, this guy believes in us.'"

With a crowd of roughly 2,000 gathered in front of the impressive brick school that's not far from his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary, James walked to the stage on Monday accompanied by his mom, his wife, Savannah, and 3-year-old daughter, Zhuri. As they slowly made their way along a tree-lined sidewalk with students, Grammy-nominated singer Tori Kelly sang a beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

Moments later, James stood before people he has known all his life and asked for help.

"I want people to know that these kids still have the same opportunities as everyone else, and that's what's important," James said. "Us as adults have a responsibility to not let these kids down . because those kids are our future."

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With the launch of a public school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, LeBron James has joined a long list of celebrities who have sought to leave their mark on education centers.

The NBA star, who recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, was on hand Monday to welcome children to the I Promise School, built in a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron City Schools. The school launches with a group of third- and fourth-graders and plans to expand to serve first through eighth grades by 2022.

James has said the school, with a non-traditional schedule and year-round programming, can have a lasting impact for children facing the kinds of challenges he faced during a rough childhood. James grew up without a father, and he missed a lot of school because he and his mother lacked transportation.

Here is a look at some of the other celebrities who have been involved in creating schools, sometimes with mixed results:

DEION SANDERS

The NFL Hall of Famer co-founded a multi-campus charter school called Prime Prep Academy in Texas in 2012. He coached there and served in other capacities but had a rocky relationship with administrators and was twice fired and rehired. The school's enrollment slid amid financial and administrative problems, and it closed in early 2015.

SHAKIRA

The singer has funded at least a half-dozen schools for children in her native Colombia over the past two decades with her foundation, Pies Descalzos, which means Barefoot in Spanish. Those institutions included a $6 million school she dedicated in 2009 in her hometown, Barranquilla, on Colombia's Caribbean coast. She said then that her foundation's work is about "breaking the myth that quality education is the privilege of the few."

MAGIC JOHNSON

The Lakers legend announced in 2011 that he was partnering with for-profit EdisonLearning Inc. to lend his name and business skills to promote dropout recovery centers. The effort expanded to at least 17 Bridgescape schools in six states within a couple years with the goal of reducing school dropout rates in urban areas. The company and Johnson parted ways after five years, but EdisonLearning says four Bridgescape Learning Academies still operate with the Chicago Public Schools.

TONY BENNETT

The singer and his wife, teacher Susan Benedetto, founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in 2001 in New York, naming it after the legendary singer, who was Bennett's best friend. The public performing arts high school in Queens, which gets support from Bennett's nonprofit group, admits students based on auditions. It boasts a high graduation rate, with alumni who have gone on to study at a variety of top arts colleges.

WILL SMITH

The actor-rapper and his actress wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, founded the private New Village Academy in the Los Angeles area in 2008. Pinkett Smith said she was moved to start the school after developing home-schooling programs for their own children, but it was embroiled in controversy over rumors the curriculum used instructional methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The couple and school leaders denied any connection to the church. The school reportedly closed in 2013. Representatives for the couple couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

ANDRE AGASSI

The tennis great ran the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy for at-risk youth in his hometown, Las Vegas. In 2016, the academy was turned over to an out-of-state operator, and it has been rebranded Democracy Prep at Agassi Campus. The school change was compelled by a Nevada state initiative that targeted low-performing schools. The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education also is tied to an investment fund that helps charter school operators get access to buildings and facilities around the country.

SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS

The performer and entrepreneur added another role in 2016 as founder of the Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School in the New York neighborhood where he was born. He said it was a dream come true to create the school, which is part of a group of schools aimed at supporting historically disadvantaged students.

PITBULL

The rapper, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, has been a celebrity ambassador for the Sports and Leadership Academy, which has locations in Miami and Henderson, Nevada. He's appeared at ceremonies for the schools, which focus on sports medicine, marketing, business and management. The academy is overseen by the Sports and Leadership Academy Foundation, and he is not a financial donor.

MADONNA

The pop star founded the charity Raising Malawi in 2006 to help vulnerable children in that impoverished southern African nation. Its work has included helping to build schools there. It also funded a children's wing at a hospital that opened last year.

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Ho reported from Seattle, Franko from Columbus, Ohio. Follow the reporters on Twitter at https://twitter.com/_sallyho and https://twitter.com/kantele10.

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — The Queen of Pop is also a soccer mom, and she's getting ever more involved in the beautiful game.

Madonna has plans to open a soccer academy in Malawi, a move inspired by her adopted son David Banda, who has ambitions to be a professional player and is at Portuguese club Benfica's youth academy .

Madonna follows 12-year-old David's progress in Portugal closely, living in Lisbon and often posting photos and videos from the sidelines of his games.

"It is actually David's idea that we should build a football academy," Madonna said on a recent visit to Malawi, where she adopted four of her six children, including David, and where she's done extensive charity work.

Madonna, who turned 60 on Thursday, floated the soccer academy idea in the southern African country last month, prompting the national association to respond enthusiastically.

"We are very excited with this window of opportunity that has arisen," Malawi Football Association president Walter Nyamilandu told The Associated Press. "It will complement our efforts to establish football academies in the country."

The association has already offered Madonna a piece of land next to the national soccer stadium in the capital, Lilongwe, Nyamilandu said.

"We presented our proposal of the academy to Madonna and they are satisfied with it," he said.

Madonna's work in Malawi, through the Raising Malawi charity, focuses on helping orphaned and vulnerable children. The charity has built orphanages, schools and a specialist pediatric hospital unit. It's given some attention to the little-known and impoverished nation.

David hopes the academy helps raise the soccer profile of his country of birth, too. Malawi currently has no soccer academies.

"We will start slow and grow bigger, enter African Cups and hopefully grow as big as we can be," David said.

It's an ambitious plan. Malawi only has one player in a European League, midfielder Tawonga Chimodzi plays for a second-division team in Cyprus.

But then there's David, cheered on by soccer mom Madonna.

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Cameron Champ was a freshman in high school and a graduate of The First Tee program, missing only the means to travel the country to play junior golf tournaments with hopes of getting noticed outside Northern California.

One phone call made a difference as big as some of his drives.

His father called John Wood, an old friend from high school in Sacramento who at the time was caddying for Hunter Mahan.

"He said his son was into golf and would I come out and spend a day with him," Wood said Wednesday morning from the Australian Open, where he now works for Matt Kuchar. "You get those calls and figure you'll go watch a guy shoot 80. But I literally watched Cam hit three shots and thought: 'Hang on. Something is very, very, very different here.' You could see the physical talent, and he's such a polite kid, the kind you'd want to help. His potential was off the charts."

Champ is a top attraction this week in the RSM Classic at Sea Island, mainly because of how far he hits the ball, partly because of the attention he gets from how far he hits the ball. He began his rookie season six weeks ago and won the Sanderson Farms Championship in his second start as a PGA Tour member. His clubhead speed has been clocked at just under 130 mph, faster than anyone on tour. His ball speed has been measured at just over 192 mph coming off the club, another head-turner.

He still views that phone call as a pivotal moment.

Wood made a pitch to Mahan, who invited Champ to his American Junior Golf Association event in Texas. Champ took it from there.

"I still look back on that as if I didn't get that, who knows what would happen?" Champ said. "For my family, there was no way for us to be able to travel and play so many of those events to get rankings up."

Wood said he first called friends at Ping Golf, a big supporter of junior golf, which helped Champ with equipment. Then he talked to Mahan, who was in the third year hosting the Under Armour Hunter Mahan Championship outside Dallas as part of the AJGA circuit.

"He had two exemptions he could give out, and I planted the seed with Hunter," Wood said. "I told him this kid has not had much exposure, no one knows much about him because he hasn't played much nationally, but if you take a look at giving him an exemption, it will be worth your while. Hunter was awesome. He gave him a spot, and he ended up losing in a playoff. But it put him on the map and set him up to play in a lot of events."

The seed was planted, and the growth was rapid.

"That kind of just spurred me on," Champ said. "I got enough points, all the AJGA rankings to move up. I played my next one and next one, kept playing and got the rankings. And from there, it just kind of went on."

He said grants from the AJGA allowed him to travel. Champ was an AJGA All-American the next two years, played in the 2012 Junior Ryder Cup team and landed at Texas A&M, where he was slowed by back injuries his first two years.

He first got noticed on a big stage when he qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills and led the field with an average drive of just under 350 yards. One year on the Web.com Tour the next season brought his first professional victory and a ticket to the big leagues.

Everything about Champ is about big, starting with tee shots created by incredible speed without looking as though he's swinging hard.

He won the Sanderson Farms Championship by four shots with a late string of birdies. He was in the hunt last week at Mayakoba, a shorter golf course that demands precision off the tee, flighting his shots low and with movement. It wasn't just smashing driver. He showed off an array of shots.

Even so, with Champ the conversation starts with power.

He tries not to get caught up in the attention, no small task considering he already has been featured in Golf Digest because of his swing speed. Starting with his power display at Erin Hills, he already is mentioned in the same category with Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and the rest of the big hitters in golf.

He understands why he gets so much attention, though.

"That's kind of what our game's around right now — athletic players hit it far, and then once they learn how to hit wedges like DJ did, then the sky's the limit," he said. "It doesn't bother me anymore. It never really bothered me before, but now with the attention, I just try to block it all out."

His goal when he earned his PGA Tour was to make all the cuts in the fall portion of the schedule, and he has done just that. The final stop is Sea Island, which starts Thursday on two courses (Seaside and Plantation) with a field that features Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner, Zach Johnson and tournament host Davis Love III.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The school district of a northwest Arkansas high school that suspended its student newspaper after it published an article alleging improper transfers by football players said Monday that district administrators are "reviewing the issue."

Springdale District spokesman Rick Schaeffer also said that the district was not involved in the paper's suspension.

Buzzfeed News first reported Saturday that Har-ber High School in Springdale, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, ceased the Har-ber Herald's publication after students conducted a monthlong investigation into the transfer of five Har-ber football players to a different district high school. The Har-ber Herald reported at least two of them acknowledged that they did so to have a better chance of playing football, which would violate district policy.

Schaeffer did not comment on whether the article had false information or misrepresented facts. In a statement, district superintendent Jim Rollins called the article "intentionally negative, demeaning, hurtful and potentially harmful to the students" as well as "divisive and disruptive" to the school's community. But Rollins did not dispute the article's allegations.

The district instructed the paper's adviser, teacher Karla Sprague, to remove the story from its website, and the article was taken down. Har-ber principal Paul Griep told the paper's adviser that nothing could be published until new guidelines were created.

Student Press Law Center Executive Director Hadar Harris said the school's actions amount to censorship. Harris and journalists from the student newspaper were in Chicago at a conference when the school called for the article's removal. The center advises student reporters on various legal and ethical journalistic issues, Harris said, from libel and copyright law to censorship.

"Everyone is hoping that the school district will review the situation and revise their decision," Harris said. She called on the school and the district to re-publish the article, reinstate the paper and eliminate review guidelines, saying that if the district doesn't take those steps, "the students may decide to pursue legal action."

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An initial police report indicates a charter bus carrying elementary school-age football players from Tennessee was going too fast when it rolled off an Arkansas interstate last month and overturned, killing a 9-year-old and injuring at least 45 others.

A recently released Arkansas State Police crash report says the driver was exiting Interstate 30 near Benton, 25 miles east of Little Rock, on Dec. 3 when she applied her brakes. The report says the bus couldn't slow before it left the roadway , struck a ditch and overturned.

The report notes "inattentive, careless, negligent or erratic" driving as a factor, but does not elaborate. A state police spokesman said Friday the crash is still under investigation and nothing has been forwarded to prosecutors seeking charges.

The children from the Orange Mound Youth Association in Memphis, Tennessee, were returning home from a football tournament in the Dallas area.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Suspended prep basketball player Maori Davenport addressed Alabama's Republican and Democratic caucuses Tuesday about her situation and several lawmakers have urged state high school officials to reinstate her.

Davenport, a senior at Charles Henderson High School in Troy, Alabama has been ruled ineligible by state high school officials after receiving an $857.20 check from USA Basketball, which has been repaid.

The 6-foot-4 Davenport told The Associated Press while she and her parents visited the Alabama Statehouse that she doesn't believe she did anything wrong.

"I hope to play again this year, but if I don't get to play again, I just want them to help this not happen to any other student-athlete in Alabama," said Davenport, who has signed to play college basketball at Rutgers.

USA Basketball gave Davenport the check for "lost wages" after she played for the team in a tournament last summer, inadvertently running afoul of the Alabama High School Athletic Association's amateur rule.

She has received an outpouring of support from around the country, including from Golden State Warriors center Demarcus Cousins and Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer.

"It just makes me feel like the world has my back in this situation, so I'm not wrong," Davenport said.

USA Basketball reported the payment a few months later and Davenport's family repaid the money.

Her mother, Tara Davenport, is a middle school coach who also assists with the high school team. Tara Davenport said "the sad part about it" is that adults made the mistake and her daughter is the one being punished for it.

"I thought because it was USA that it wouldn't have gotten to this point because USA admitted their mistake," Tara Davenport said. "Her dad and I sent the money back ASAP, but unfortunately that didn't matter either."

The Davenports were notified of the error on Nov. 26, reported it to the AHSAA on Nov. 27 and repaid the money the following day, according to Charles Henderson Principal Brock Kelley.

"My school has respectfully proceeded through the steps of the appeal process, but we have been met with a 'rules are rules mindset' throughout," Kelley said in a statement Tuesday. "I understand rules and believe in the fundamental aspects of rules. However, in this case, this is beyond the basketball court, beyond the rule book, and beyond this basketball season.

"This case is about character. It's about integrity. It's about doing the right thing and correcting a mistake when it's is realized. The AHSAA never knew anything about the check until the Davenports reported it to them. The Davenports reported it to AHSAA and sent the money back within 48 hours of realizing Maori could not accept the check."

Two other high school players from other states also received checks from USA Basketball.

Notre Dame recruit Anaya Peoples of Illinois remained eligible after repaying the money at about the same time as Davenport, USA Basketball spokesman Craig Miller said.

Aijha Blackwell of Missouri has left her private school. Miller said state high school athletic officials have indicated to USA Basketball that the University of Missouri signee will be able to play once she is ruled eligible at another school under transfer rules and repays the money.

A spokesman for the Missouri State High School Activities Association said he could not comment on students' eligibility, but said the organization has a similar amateur rule to Alabama.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is launching a social justice platform, with an emphasis on education, economic development and community and police relations.

The platform is called Inspire Change and includes the funding of grass-roots organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Operation HOPE. It also will establish a digital learning curriculum for African-American history in 175 underserved high schools.

The league announced the initiative Friday in connection with its 32 teams and the Players Coalition, a group of players that works for social justice.

Inspire Change is the latest step for the league and the players after they established a working relationship in October 2017 following player demonstrations for social justice during the national anthem — a topic that drew attention from the White House.

"This launch involves new grants, new African-American history education programs in schools, grants with organizations we have not worked with before and who are doing the work on the ground, and PSAs on broadcasts beginning with this weekend's playoff games," says Anna Isaacson, the NFL's senior vice president of social responsibility.

"You have to really take the time to understand the topic, you can't just dive in. We really took the time to meet with and talk to advocates and community leaders and to decide the most important aspects to focus on under the broad social justice umbrella."

The league's financial commitment in 2018 was $8.5 million, plus an additional $2 million for NFL Foundation grants for clubs, former players and active players. For the 2019 fiscal year, that will increase to $12 million overall. But those figures don't include the funds raised collaboratively by clubs and players as part of the social justice matching funds program each club has established.

Former player and players association president Troy Vincent, now the league's pro football operations chief, emphasizes how much work has been done and continues to be done by the players. This week, he was told by Players Coalition co-founder Anquan Boldin that the NFL is still "on point" with its initiatives.

Vincent, who grew up outside Philadelphia, didn't understand the complexities of the incarceration rate and the bail system. He notes how opening of communication between the league office and teams and communities has helped steer the social justice movement.

"What we learned is that every community knew the grass roots organizations in their respective neighborhoods that were doing the work, the daily hands-on work," Vincent said. "Working with the larger organizations gave us a national view."

Two of those larger groups, BBBSA and Operation HOPE, will receive grants. Operation HOPE will use the funds to support its nationwide work within underserved communities to equip young people and adults with financial tools and education.

For Big Brothers Big Sisters, it's all about mentoring, and many players already serve in such a capacity.

"We are the ultimate grass roots organization," says Pam Iorio, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which has 257 agencies throughout the 50 states and has existed for 115 years. "We're all about strengthening communities one relationship at a time."

"We serve children from age 6 until young adulthood, and most of them come from very challenged backgrounds, whether family or economically challenged or neighborhood challenged."

Adds Isaacson: "If we can come in and help them through these initiatives, that is social justice."

Vincent mentions the work done by two of last year's grantees, the United Negro College Fund and Dream Corps.

The college fund created a program aimed to alleviate the impact of mass incarceration by stressing higher education. Dream Corps performed voter registration drives.

"It all falls into social justice issues," Vincent said. "They're all broad and deep and unique to each community, but everyone wants fairness, due process and equal justice."

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BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia girls' high school basketball team is expected to return home a day after its charter bus rolled over.

Berkeley County School officials said in a statement 14 people taken to hospitals Saturday night were medically cleared. The bus carrying the Martinsburg High team was leaving the Big Atlantic Classic tournament in Beckley when the accident occurred along an Interstate 64 entrance ramp.

Gov. Jim Justice and his staff provided lodging for the players and their families. Justice also is the girls' coach at Greenbrier East High School, which defeated Martinsburg in the tournament earlier Saturday.

The statement said the team planned to head back to Martinsburg on Sunday.

Police haven't released a cause of the accident. Team member Deaira Hairston said on Twitter the bus slid on black ice and flipped four times down a hill.

Martinsburg coach Kyle Triggs said on Twitter the team was amazed by the outpouring of prayers and well wishes.

"Our players, staff, and our families truly appreciate your thoughtfulness," he said. "Words cannot express how grateful we are!"

Beckley is in southern West Virginia and is about 270 miles southwest of Martinsburg, a community in the state's Eastern Panhandle.