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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Newsmakers

Agreed Japanese free-agent pitcher Yoshinori Tateyama agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with the A.L. champion Texas Rangers that includes club options for 2012 and 2013. A sidearm thrower who turns 35 on Dec. 26, Tateyama had a career-low 1.80 ERA in 58 games last season in Japan.

Hired North Texas introduced Dan McCarney as its new football coach, giving the Mean Green a leader with plenty of college experience. McCarney has been in college coaching for 34 years, the last three as a defensive coach at Florida. He was also head coach at Iowa State for 12 seasons.

Cleared NHL center Pierre-Marc Bouchard is set to suit up for the Minnesota Wild for the first time in more than a year. The Wild announced on their website that Bouchard has been cleared from his post-concussion symptoms to return to the team for tonight’s game against Phoenix.

Skipping Olympic bronze medalist Joannie Rochette will not compete at the Canadian figure skating championships in January. She has spent the past several months skating in shows and attending speaking engagements. But she says she hasn’t lost her competitive spirit and plans to retain her amateur status.

Joined Time-trial world champion Fabian Cancellara joined Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck on the new Luxembourg pro cycling team. The Swiss rider signed a three-year contract.

Died Olympic gold medalist Britton Chance, whose scientific work helped develop a noninvasive way to diagnose medical problems, died of heart failure at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Nov. 16. He was 79. Chance was already respected for his endeavors in biophysics and chemistry when he won a gold medal for the U.S. sailing team at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

• Longtime sports writer Jim Kelley, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, died after a long battle with cancer at Buffalo, N.Y. He was 61.