u777u After two years of planning and two more years of construction, the Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre at the corner of Ellice Ave. and Burnell St. has undergone a modernization. With a new facade, windows, an elevator and commercial kitchen, the $1.8 million dollar renovation means the temple is poised to host its hundreds of attendees, both now and far into the future. “As long as it serves the purpose of the community, we’re happy,” said Renovations committee chair Rao Atmuri. “That’s about it, the rest doesn’t matter.” The building was originally constructed in 1950 as a church. In the late 70s, the Hindu Society of Manitoba purchased the building converting it into a Hindu temple in 1983. These were the last major renovations done to the building and it was in need of a visual and functional upgrade. Beyond the aesthetic value that the renovations have brought, Hindu Society of Manitoba’s board president, Kirit Thakrar, says that these updates are critical for aligning with Winnipeg’s evolving Hindu community. He says many of the Hindu temple’s original patrons are aging, meaning that equipment like an elevator is becoming a necessity, and at the same time, Winnipeg has been seeing an influx of newcomers who are looking to come to the temple to engage in puja, enjoy meals and meet others. “Immigration is increasing now, and lots of people are coming,” Thakrar says. “This is where everything starts when people first move to Winnipeg.” The Ellice temple’s location and proximity to the University of Winnipeg means that the temple is often a landing pad for Hindus from downtown to the Maples. For instance, on Nov. 21st, individuals at the temple were preparing for the Akhand Ramayan Path, a continuous 24-hour recitation of the Shri Ramcharitmanas - a 16th century epic poem telling to story of Ramayana. “On the 23rd, we have a big program and we can have about seven, eight hundred people,” Thakrar says. The building’s renovations mean that more people are able to participate in prayer and the meals which are served after celebrations as the building’s basement has massively increased its capacity with more seating and a fully stainless steel commercial kitchen. Thakrar says that the Hindu temple does more than just host religious cermonies. The space is also used for cultural and social needs in the wider community, such as lectures on health and finances and hosting school groups from across the city. The renovations were conducted by a committee of board and non-board members, including Thakrar, Vijay Punj, Rao Atmuri, Prem Sanggar and Surinder Goyal. Atmuri says that they “were all there almost from day number one.” Walking around the building, it is clear that the members are proud of the work they have done and their ability to serve the expanding local community.Dave Grohl and his wife, Jordyn Blum, are striving to keep their family together after Dave's bombshell revelation in September that he fathered a child with another woman. The unexpected disclosure initially pushed Jordyn towards thoughts of divorce due to the profound sense of betrayal she felt. Yet, with time for contemplation, Jordyn deemed the prospect of tearing their family apart exceedingly sorrowful. The 55-year-old Foo Fighters lead singer shocked fans earlier this year with his admission of infidelity. Dave has been married to director and actress Jordyn, 48, since 2003, and the couple shares daughters Violet Maye, 18, Harper Willow, 15, and Ophelia Saint, 10. Exclusive: Dave Grohl gives major clue about marriage status as he breaks cover after calling off divorce lawyer Exclusive: Dave Grohl needs 'private reconciliation' to fix 'nice guy' image after affair drama An insider recently told People: "It was just such a shock for Jordyn. Her first instinct was that she wanted a divorce. The betrayal felt too heavy. But as weeks passed, she got some space to think and it just felt very sad to her if the family would split up." In a casual social media post in September, Dave announced the birth of his fourth daughter "outside of my marriage" and pledged to fight for his family. Fans remain worried that the rock icon may have irreparably damaged his marriage, reports the Mirror . In a candid social media announcement, he shared: "I've recently become the father of a new daughter, born outside of my marriage. I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her." However, insiders have spilled that despite the bombshell, the rock icon will be spending the festive season with his loved ones, trying to mend fences after his shocking revelation. A source confided to the outlet on Monday, "They are all spending Christmas as a family." Another insider added, "Dave's been prioritizing his family. He knows he messed up. It's one of those situations where you don't realize what you have until you're about to lose it. He doesn't want to lose his family." The musician also expressed his remorse, saying, "I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and their forgiveness. We're grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together." His initial disclosure left fans reeling, prompting a flurry of reactions online. One fan humorously compared the announcement to a sports event, quipping on X, "Dave Grohl is having a child out of wedlock and announced it like a football team firing its coach lol." Meanwhile, another fan expressed their shock more vividly, commenting, "Not Dave Grohl making a text post to announce he cheated on his wife, fathered a child through the cheating, and lost the trust of his wife and 3 daughters, but plans to 'be a good father' to the new baby. What the f--- !!!!!!!!" Dave's past remarks have come back to haunt him following his admission of an affair, as he once referred to Jordyn as his "future ex-wife". He previously told Q Magazine about the night he met the actress while out drinking with his late bandmate Taylor Hawkins: "Some bombshell comes up and starts talking to Taylor. I was just out of a Tenacious D session. I've got Vans trainers on, no socks, dirty shorts and a dirty T-shirt, surrounded by beautiful Hollywood...""So I'm just having some drinks and acting like a jackass. And by the end of the night I was pissed and I'm staring at her going, 'You're my future ex-wife,' he said. 'So she gave me her number: 'Jordyn, your future ex-wife'." Dave's representatives have been reached out for a comment.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder

Technology stocks led a broad rally on Wall Street Tuesday during a holiday-shortened trading session ahead of Christmas. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% for its third-straight gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.9%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. While Big Tech companies, including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped push the market higher, the gains were widespread. Advancers outnumbered decliners by more than 3-to-1 on the New York Stock Exchange. Broadcom rose 3.2%, Apple gained 1.1% and Amazon closed 1.8% higher. Super Micro Computer climbed 6%. Tesla jumped 7.4% for the biggest gains among S&P 500 stocks. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended with a 0.6% gain after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Elsewhere in the market, U.S. Steel rose 1.9% a day after an influential government panel failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the nearly $15 billion proposed sale to Nippon Steel of Japan. NeueHealth surged 74.9% after the health care company agreed to be taken private in a deal valued at roughly $1.3 billion. All told, the S&P 500 rose 65.97 points to 6,040.04. The Dow added 390.08 points to 43,297.03, and the Nasdaq rose 266.24 points to 20,031.13. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59%. European markets closed mostly higher. Markets in Asia mostly gained ground. Tuesday’s U.S. market rally comes as the stock market enters what’s historically been a very cheerful season. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. The so-called “Santa rally” also correlates closely with positive returns in January and the upcoming year. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the stock market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up 26.6% so far this year and remains within roughly 1% of the all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. U.S. markets will be closed Wednesday for Christmas. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment benefits on Thursday.