Craig Field Names Myiesha Johnson, Deputy Director of Airport Operations and Tenant Leasing

Veteran aviation operations leader will make history as the first African American woman — and first woman — to hold the position at Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority

SELMA, Ala. | Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority has named veteran aviation operations professional Myiesha Johnson as its new deputy director of airport operations and tenant leasing, a leadership appointment the authority says marks two historic firsts for the Selma aviation and industrial complex.

Johnson will officially begin her new role Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. According to the authority, she will become the first African American woman and the first woman to serve in the position.

The appointment brings an aviation professional with more than a decade of progressive airport experience to Craig Field as the authority works to strengthen its aviation operations, tenant relationships and long-term economic development efforts.

As deputy director, Johnson will oversee airfield operations, regulatory compliance, tenant relations and strategic development initiatives supporting Craig Field's aviation and industrial operations.

Nemeth Scores Twice as Northwestern Blanks Ohio State 5-0

Wildcats improve to 11-0 behind Nemeth’s first career two-goal game and Boon’s eighth shutout of the season

COLUMBUS, Ohio | Nadia Nemeth scored twice for the first multi-goal game of her career, and No. 1 Northwestern remained unbeaten with a 5-0 victory over Ohio State on Friday in Big Ten field hockey action.

Northwestern (11-0, 2-0 Big Ten) earned its first conference road victory of the season and extended its winning streak against Ohio State to seven games. The Buckeyes fell to 4-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

The Wildcats have overwhelmed opponents during their latest three-game stretch, following a 7-0 victory at UC Davis and a 6-0 win over Michigan State with another five-goal performance.

Nemeth led the attack with two goals, doubling her career total in one afternoon. Ashley Sessa, Jess Freedman and Raquel Hofmeister also scored as Northwestern put 13 of its 18 shots on goal.

Goalkeeper Juliana Boon made three saves for her eighth shutout of the season.

Northwestern needed less than six minutes to take control.

Sessa opened the scoring off a penalty corner, redirecting an Olivia Bent-Cole shot into the net for her eighth goal of the season. The goal moved Sessa into a tie with Tromp for the team lead.

Just 90 seconds later, Laura Salamanca delivered a centering pass to Nemeth, who finished for a 2-0 advantage.

Nemeth has now scored in consecutive games after snapping a scoring drought dating to October 2024.

The Wildcats struck again in the second quarter. Tromp moved the ball forward to Kiera Sack, who found Freedman for a finish in the 22nd minute and a 3-0 Northwestern lead.

Northwestern carried that advantage into halftime after outshooting Ohio State 9-2 and preventing the Buckeyes from earning a penalty corner during the opening half.

Ohio State tried to generate momentum immediately after halftime, earning consecutive penalty corners, but Northwestern's defense and Boon turned away both opportunities.

Nemeth delivered again in the 36th minute, finding open space and converting a feed from Krys for her second goal and a 4-0 lead.

Northwestern quickly added another. On the ensuing sequence, Sessa worked past two defenders to help create an opportunity for Hofmeister, who finished for her second career goal and pushed the margin to 5-0.

Ohio State goalkeepers Maddie Stevens and Avery Alleva combined for eight saves, but the Buckeyes could not slow a Northwestern attack that has scored 18 goals over its past three games while allowing none.

The Wildcats have now posted three consecutive shutouts while strengthening an unbeaten start that has carried them to the No. 1 national ranking.

Northwestern faces a quick turnaround with another Big Ten road test against No. 15 Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 4, in Ann Arbor. The match is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT and will stream on B1G+.

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-- By James A. Wright

Leticia Jacobs contributed to this report.

© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.

Maryland Falls To Minnesota 4-0 in Big Ten Women's Soccer Road Match

Gophers score three times in a nine-minute second-half surge as Terrapins drop to 0-6 in conference play

MINNEAPOLIS | Minnesota broke open a one-goal match with three quick second-half scores Friday night, handing Maryland a 4-0 loss in Big Ten women’s soccer action.

Maryland (3-8-1, 0-6 Big Ten) stayed within striking distance through the opening 45 minutes behind goalkeeper Faith Luckey, who made six first-half saves. But Minnesota (7-3-2, 3-2-1) took control shortly after halftime and remained unbeaten at home this season.

The Gophers outshot the Terrapins 23-9 in the 10th all-time meeting between the programs.

Matigann Vixayvong opened the scoring in the 24th minute, beating Maryland for the only goal of the first half.

The Terrapins generated chances of their own. Mckinley Heaven forced a Minnesota save in the 20th minute, and Peyton Bernard followed with a shot on goal five minutes later.

Luckey helped keep Maryland close, making three saves late in the opening half to send the Terrapins into halftime trailing 1-0.

Minnesota quickly changed the complexion of the match after the break.

Westlund doubled the Gophers' advantage in the 49th minute and struck again six minutes later for a 3-0 lead. Katelyn Rigg added Minnesota's fourth goal in the 58th minute, completing a three-goal burst in nine minutes.

Meredith Fisher took over in goal for Maryland in the second half and recorded two saves, stopping Minnesota attempts in the 77th and 84th minutes.

Ellie Egeland produced Maryland's final opportunity with a shot on goal in the closing seconds, but Minnesota preserved the shutout.

Craig Field Names Selma Native James Thomas Executive Director

Retired Marine and former Montgomery Regional Airport administrator returns home with plans to expand aviation training, strengthen infrastructure and position the Selma airport for economic growth

SELMA, Ala. | Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority has named Selma native James W. Thomas its new executive director, placing a veteran airport administrator and retired U.S. Marine at the helm as the former military airfield looks to expand aviation training, attract investment and strengthen its role in economic development across Alabama's Black Belt.

The authority's Board of Directors formally introduced Thomas during a September news conference following a nationwide search that drew 23 applicants. Thomas began work Sept. 21.

Thomas returns to his hometown after five years at Montgomery Regional Airport, where his work included airport administration, contract and financial oversight, lease management, procurement, capital development projects, airline coordination, regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement.

His appointment marks a homecoming for the Selma High School graduate, whose career has also included communications, broadcasting and business development. Thomas served in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 2005 and is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

Thomas said his goal is to build on Craig Field's existing assets while expanding opportunities tied to aviation, workforce development and economic growth.

“I get a chance to actually do something positive for the city, and help Craig Field reach its full potential because it’s always had potential,” Thomas said during an interview with WAKA. “And so, I want to see if I can come in and revitalize that.”

Democratic Ads Misleadingly Connect Susan Collins to Epstein

In the Maine Senate race, ads from a Democratic super PAC misleadingly claim Republican Sen. Susan Collins cast a vote to “cover up the Epstein files” and received “$3 million to her super PAC” from “Jeffrey Epstein’s business partner.”

Collins supported an Epstein-files disclosure bill in November that required the Department of Justice to publicly release records related to the convicted sex offender. She had voted two months earlier against an amendment that called for the release of the files and was attached to a defense spending bill. Collins said she opposed adding the amendment to an unrelated bill.

Furthermore, the ad stretches the facts in claiming that “Epstein’s business partner” gave money to Collins. A political action committee supporting Collins received millions of dollars in contributions from a man who was reportedly a “founding member” of a private New York City club along with Epstein and many other wealthy people.

A spokesperson for the man told us he had no relationship with Epstein. 

This is the third time this election cycle that we have written about Democratic ads misleadingly citing Republican senators’ votes to block the amendment and not mentioning that the full Senate later supported releasing the Epstein files. The ads also try to connect the Republican senators who blocked the amendment to people linked in some way to Epstein.

Experts Question the White House’s Defense of Taxpayer-Funded Ads

The White House has defended three taxpayer-funded advertisements featuring President Donald Trump by comparing them to ads that were paid for by past presidential administrations. But some legal experts have said the Trump White House commercials are political messages intended to influence the 2026 midterms and may violate U.S. laws, including a prohibition against using federal funds for propaganda.

The White House described its ads as “public service announcements” in a Sept. 25 press release pushing back on criticism. It said, “The announcements are very clearly not campaign ads; President Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to action. Instead, the announcements are a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it’s worth defending — at home, at the border, and abroad.”

The release went on to say that “[a]dministrations of both parties have used public service announcements to explain policy and make the case for the nation’s direction,” citing examples of ads from the George W. Bush, Obama and Biden administrations, among others.

A legal expert we consulted did not see a correlation. 

“I just think you’re not going to find any comparison at all,” Richard Painter, a corporate law professor and former White House ethics lawyer for George W. Bush, told us in an interview. Painter said the Trump White House ads are “so clearly propaganda,” which generally refers to government communications intended to manipulate or influence public opinion. 

Mobile River Bridge and Bayway: Ivey Authorizes $3.2 Billion Construction, Groundbreaking Set for Friday

Alabama issues notice to proceed for the largest transportation project in state history, clearing the way for a new six-lane Mobile River bridge and major I-10 improvements

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday formally authorized construction of the $3.2 billion Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, moving one of the state's most consequential infrastructure projects from decades of planning toward full-scale construction.

The Alabama Department of Transportation, acting on behalf of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority, issued a notice to proceed Sept. 25 to the Kiewit Massman Traylor design-build team, according to the governor's office. The authorization follows the completion of bond sales and federal financing and represents the final procedural step before construction begins.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, in Mobile, with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expected to join Ivey and other officials. The event will be invitation-only because of space limitations, according to the governor's office.

The project represents a major overhaul of the Interstate 10 corridor connecting Mobile and Baldwin counties and is described by state officials as the largest transportation infrastructure project in Alabama history.

“At long last, we are officially moving from talking about the need for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project to actually building it,” Ivey said in announcing the authorization.

Senate passes bipartisan college sports overhaul 77-22, sending landmark NIL bill to House

Trump presses House to move quickly on sweeping legislation that would establish national rules for NIL compensation, revenue sharing, transfers and athlete protections as opponents warn about labor rights and NCAA power

WASHINGTON | The Senate overwhelmingly approved a sweeping bipartisan overhaul of college athletics Monday, advancing the most significant federal attempt yet to regulate the multibillion-dollar industry and shifting the battle over athlete compensation, transfers and the NCAA’s authority to the House.

The Protect College Sports Act passed 77-22, an unusually broad bipartisan vote on legislation that has divided lawmakers, labor organizations, civil rights groups, universities and athletic conferences over how much control schools should have over an increasingly professionalized college sports marketplace.

President Donald Trump has urged Congress to send the legislation to his desk, with the White House calling for a national framework to address years of uncertainty surrounding name, image and likeness compensation, athlete eligibility, transfers and revenue sharing.

The bill now moves to the House, where its path is less certain. The chamber is in recess until after the November midterm elections, although Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has urged Speaker Mike Johnson to bring lawmakers back to Washington to consider the measure.

The legislation represents a potentially historic shift for college athletics, replacing a patchwork of state laws, court decisions and athletic association rules with a federal framework governing some of the industry's most consequential issues.