2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Florida International Panthers
Top performances of the game included FIU quarterback Alex McGough who threw for 284 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception. FIU rusher Alex Gardner had 19 carries for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns. Charlotte's Austin Duke had 8 receptions for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
This Senior Day conference match-up of recent start-up football programs featured the 49ers taking on their first BCS National Championship winning head coach in UTSA's Larry Coker.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
On their first possession of the game UTSA would get to Charlotte's red zone only to have Dalton Sturm's pass intercepted by Charlotte's Terrence Winchester. Charlotte would return the favor six plays later when Brooks Barden's pass was intercepted by the Roadrunners' Bennett Okotch. Three series later Sturm would again have a pass intercepted, this time by the 49ers' Devin Pearson. The resulting series for the Niners would carry over to the second quarter with neither team scoring in the first quarter.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
Unable to find the end zone, Charlotte would have to settle for a long field goal attempt, but Blake Brewer's 52-yard attempt would miss. On their first possession of the second quarter the Roadrunner's would also miss a Damiel Portillo 44-yard field goal attempt. After both teams ended their next series on punt returns, Charlotte's Matt Johnson would find Richard Murphy on an 8-yard touchdown pass. On the next play from scrimmage Dalton would throw his third interception to the 49ers' Daquan Lucas. The score at the half was Charlotte up 7 to 0.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
On the first series of the second half, following a 68-yard breakaway run by the Roadrunner's Jarveon Williams to get into scoring position, Jalen Rhodes would punch it in to tie the game at 7 all. On the Niners' next possession Barden would get Murphy his second touchdown pass, this time from 18 yards out. On the next drive Jarveon Williams would tie the score again with a 24-yard touchdown run.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
On their next possession Sturm would get the Roadrunners their first lead of the day on a 7-yard pass to Kerry Thomas Jr., but Portillo's point after attempt would miss. On the subsequent drive the 49ers would regain the lead after Matt Johnson found Trent Bostick for a 42-yard touchdown pass. The third quarter would end with Charlotte up 21 to 20.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
The Niners' first series of the fourth quarter would end on a Blake Brewer 41-yard field goal. On the 49ers' next possession Brewer would miss from 43 yards away. On the very next series the Roadrunner's would retake the lead on a Sturm 26-yard pass to Aaron Grubb. The 49ers would then string together a fifteen play drive that ended with Brewer tying the score at 27 all on a 37-yard field goal. On UTSA's next possession Victor Falcon's 52 game-winning field goal attempt would miss at the end of regulation time. Both teams would enter over time at 27 points all.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
Charlotte won the first possession of the over time period, but Matt Johnson's end zone pass attempt would be intercepted by the Roadrunner's Nate Gaines. UTSA would run seven plays to get Portillo into position, who would win the game for the Roadrunners on a successful 22-yard field goal. Senior Day would end in devastating fashion as the 49ers would fall in over time, 30 to 27.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, UTSA Roadrunners
Top performances of the game included UTSA quarterback Dalton Sturm who threw for 133 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. UTSA rusher Jarveon Williams had 19 carries for 181 yards and a touchdown. Charlotte's Trent Bostick had 3 receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Kentucky Wildcats
The 49ers took on their first Power 5 and SEC foes when they visited the Blue Grass State to take on the Kentucky Wildcats.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Kentucky Wildcats
On their second possession of the game, the Wildcats' Jojo Kemp would score from 6 yards out. On their next series the Wildcats' Miles Butler would split the uprights from 21 yards away. The first quarter would end with Kentucky up 10 to 0.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Kentucky Wildcats
On their first series of the second quarter the 49ers' Blake Brewer would get the Niners on the board with a 23-yard field goal. On the next series Kentucky would stretch their lead on another Jojo Kemp rushing touchdown from 18 yards out. On their next possession Butler would connect on a 46-yard field goal. The game would go to halftime with the Wildcats up 20 to 0.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Kentucky Wildcats
On the first series of the second half the Wildcats would force the 49ers to punt, but Arthur Hart would fumble the ball away to Kentucky's Kent Denzil Ware near the Wildcat's end zone. On the very next play Kentucky's Stanley Williams would punch it in for a 20-yard touchdown run. After three straight series ended in punts, the Wildcats would get a quick strike touchdown on Stanley Williams' 53 yard breakaway run. On the next series Charlotte's Brooks Barden would be intercepted by Kentucky's Cory Johnson. Four plays later and Butler would again get a field goal, this time from 32 yards away. At the end of the third quarter Kentucky would have a commanding 37 to 3 lead.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Kentucky Wildcats
The final quarter of play saw Jojo Kemp get his third rushing touchdown of the day on the first possession, a 47-yard sprint to the end zone. On the third play of Charlotte's next possession Barden would again be intercepted, this time to devastating effect as Mike Edwards would return it 20 yards for a defensive touchdown. On their next possession Kentucky's Sihiem King would go 62 yards on the second play for another touchdown. On the Wildcat's next series on the first play Mikel Horton would fumble it away to Charlotte's Daquan Lucas. Two plays later Barden would find Zach Bumgardner for a three-yard touchdown pass. The Wildcats would hold on to the ball for the rest of the game with the final score of Kentucky 58, Charlotte 10.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Kentucky Wildcats
Top performances for the game were dominated by Kentucky. Wildcat's quarterback Drew Barker had 129 yards passing. Kentucky rusher Jojo Kemp had 11 carries for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wildcat's receiver Jeff Badet had 4 receptions for 39 yards.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Rice Owls
The 49ers faced their third set of "Owls" to close out the regular season, when they paid their first visit to the Lone Star State to take on Rice.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Rice Owls
On their first possession of the game, the Owls would get into scoring range, but Hayden Tobola would miss the field goal from 22 yards away. On their next possession, Driphus Jackson's pass into the end zone would be intercepted by Charlotte's Terrance Winchester for a touchback. That would set the 49ers up for a drive to the Owl's redzone in the next quarter. The score at the end of the first quarter was 0 all.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Rice Owls
Capping their drive off the interception from the first quarter the Niners would get into scoring range early in the second quarter, but Blake Brewer's 27-yard field goal attempt would sail wide of the uprights. Nearer the end of the half, Brewer would get another chance, but the 33-yard attempt would again sail wide on him. On their next drive and the final drive of the half for the Niners, another Brewer field goal attempt, this one from 42 yards away, would again sail wide on him; marking Brewer's 3rd failed field goal attempt of the half. The score at halftime was 0 all.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Rice Owls
On the first drive of the second half, Rice would get to Charlotte's 2-yard line; but a stout effort from the 49ers' defense would result in a Hayden Tobola 19-yard field goal instead, giving Rice the lead and marking the first points of the game. On their next possession, the Owls would find the end zone on a trick play with rusher Luke Turner's surprise 4-yard pass to Cole Hunt for the touchdown. The third quarter would end halfway through the Owls' next drive with them up 10 to 0 on the 49ers.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Rice Owls
The drive the Owls started at the end of the third quarter would bear fruit at the start of the fourth quarter as Driphus Jackson would keep it for a 3-yard scoring run. Charlotte would then turn the ball over on downs, resulting eleven plays later in a Tobola 23-yard field goal. On their next possession, the Owls' Jowan Davis would cap the drive with an 11-yard scoring run to put the game out of reach. Charlotte would get a quick strike touchdown pass of 56 yards from Matt Johnson to Trent Bostick to avoid the program's first-ever shutout, but Brewer's on sides attempt would be recovered by the Owls who would end the game with the ball. The final score was Rice 27, Charlotte 7.


2015 Charlotte 49ers football team, Game summaries, Rice Owls
Top performances of the game included Charlotte quarterback Matt Johnson who threw for 72 yards with a touchdown. Rice rusher Austin Walter had 12 carries for 78 yards. Charlotte's Trent Bostick had 6 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown.


2015 Charlotte mayoral election
The 2015 Charlotte mayoral election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mayoral elections in Charlotte are biennial, with the winner being sworn-in in December.


2015 Charlotte mayoral election
Primary elections were held on September 15, 2015, with primary runoffs held on October 6 since no candidate takes more than 40% of the vote.


2015 Charlotte mayoral election
Incumbent Democratic Party Mayor Dan Clodfelter has been in office since April 2014. He was appointed by the Charlotte City Council after Mayor Patrick Cannon, who was elected in 2013, resigned in March 2014 after being arrested for corruption. Cannon was later convicted and sentenced to 44 months in prison.


2015 Charlotte mayoral election
In December 2014, Clodfelter filed to run in the 2015 election. He lost the Democratic primary in a runoff to Jennifer Roberts, who went on to win the general election.


2015 Charlotte mayoral election, Democratic primary, Results, Round One
Roberts won the Sept. 15 primary but she did not receive 40 percent of the vote, and in such cases, North Carolina law allows for a "second primary," or runoff, between the top two vote-getters. The runner-up, Clodfelter, requested a runoff which will was held on October 6th.


2015 Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger
The 2015 Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger was a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the seventh edition of the tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour, taking place in Charlottesville, United States from November 2 to November 8, 2015.


2015 Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger – Doubles
Chase Buchanan and Tennys Sandgren won the title, beating Peter Polansky and Adil Shamasdin 3–6, 6–4, [10–5]


2015 Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger – Singles
Noah Rubin won the title, beating Tommy Paul 3–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–3


2015 Charnwood Borough Council election
The 2015 Charnwood Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of the Charnwood Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Chatham Cup
The 2015 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 88th annual knockout football competition.


2015 Chatham Cup
The 2015 competition had a preliminary round, a qualification round, and four rounds proper before quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final. In total, 125 teams took part in the 2015 competition, two fewer than the 2014 Chatham Cup.


2015 Chatham Cup, The 2015 final
The Final of the 2015 Chatham Cup was held between Eastern Suburbs and Napier City Rovers on Sunday, 20 September 2015 at The Trusts Arena, Waitakere City.


2015 Chatham Cup, The 2015 final
It was the sixth time Eastern Suburbs AFC had won the Chatham Cup.


2015 Chattanooga Mocs football team
The 2015 Chattanooga Mocs football team represented the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon). The Mocs were led by seventh-year head coach Russ Huesman and played their home games at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They finished the season 9–4 overall and 6–1 in SoCon play to share for the SoCon title with The Citadel. Chattanooga earned the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated Fordham in the first round before losing in the second round to Jacksonville State.


2015 Chattanooga shootings
On July 16, 2015, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fire on two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He first committed a drive-by shooting at a recruiting center, then traveled to a U.S. Navy Reserve center and continued firing, where he was killed by police in a gunfight. Four Marines died on the spot. A Navy sailor, a Marine recruiter, and a police officer were wounded; the sailor died from his injuries two days later.


2015 Chattanooga shootings
On December 16, following an investigation, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  director James B. Comey said that the shootings were "motivated by foreign terrorist organization propaganda."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Shootings
The shootings began shortly after 10:30 a.m. at the Armed Forces Career Center in a strip mall located on Lee Highway. The Center recruited personnel for branches of the United States military, including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the Tennessee National Guard. There, Abdulazeez fired 30 to 45 shots into the office from inside a silver rental Ford Mustang convertible, wounding a U.S. Marine. He then escaped and led members of the Chattanooga Police Department on a six miles (9.7 km) pursuit. At the time of the first shooting, only seven people, including the wounded Marine, were inside the recruiting center.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Shootings
Abdulazeez drove seven miles (11 km) to a U.S. Navy Reserve center on Amnicola Highway in Chattanooga, where he rammed his vehicle through a security gate. He drove to one of the center's buildings, where the Inspector-Instructor staff of Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines and sailors were working.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Shootings
Abdulazeez first fired at it, then charged inside and continued firing, fatally wounding a U.S. Navy sailor. Abdulazeez then exited the building through the back and entered a fenced motor pool area, where he shot several Marines. Three to five minutes after the second shooting began, he reentered the building, where he fired upon responding police officers. He was eventually fatally shot by five police officers (Officers Keven Flanagan, Jeff Lancaster, Sean O'Brien, Lucas Timmons, Grover Wilson III) outside the facility.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Shootings, Aftermath
The shootings spanned a thirty-minute period. Around 100 rounds were fired by Abdulazeez. Lock-downs were put into place near the sites of the shootings.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Shootings, Aftermath
After the shootings, officials said that Abdulazeez was carrying an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm handgun. A Saiga-12 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun was also recovered from his car. He was also wearing a vest that could hold extra ammunition. An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle was seized at Abdulazeez's home by police.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Shootings, Aftermath
Investigators discovered a 9mm Glock handgun that may have been privately owned by one of the slain Marines and are determining if it was used against Abdulazeez during the shootings. It was also determined that the reserve center's commanding officer used a personal firearm against Abdulazeez.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Victims
Five people, excluding the gunman, died in the shootings. They included four U.S. Marines who died at the scene and one U.S. Navy sailor who died at a hospital two days later. All of them were shot at the U.S. Navy Reserve center, one inside a building and the other four at a nearby motor pool area. The victims all attempted to distract the gunman, returned fire, and assisted people in climbing a fence to safety. Some of the victims died while returning fire at Abdulazeez, providing cover for a larger group of potential victims who were escaping over a fence. They were identified as:


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Victims
In addition, two other people were wounded. They were Sergeant DeMonte Cheeley, a Marine recruiter who was shot in the leg, treated, and released; and Dennis Pedigo, Jr., a police sergeant who was shot in the ankle.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator
Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez (September 5, 1990 – July 16, 2015), a resident of Hixson, Tennessee, was identified as the gunman.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Background
Abdulazeez, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was born in Kuwait on September 5, 1990, to Palestinian-Jordanian parents. Abdulazeez held a temporary Jordanian passport as a travel document (commonly issued to Palestinians by the Jordanian government); Jordanian authorities emphasized that Abdulazeez was not a Jordanian citizen.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Background
Abdulazeez migrated to the U.S. with his family in 1996 and became a U.S. citizen in 2003. During the Second Intifada, Abdulazeez, then fifteen, traveled with his father to Jamma'in, the village in the West Bank where the father was born, with the goal of acquiring a Palestinian ID.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Background
Abdulazeez graduated from Red Bank High School. He earned an electrical engineering degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2012 and learned to manage electrical power systems as an intern with the Tennessee Valley Authority. On May 20, 2013, he began working as an engineer at the Perry Nuclear Generating Station in North Perry, Ohio, but was let go ten days later after failing a drug test. According to a spokesperson for FirstEnergy, which runs the station, Abdulazeez worked and received general training at an administrative office building only, and did not have access to sensitive information. In the three months prior to the shootings, Abdulazeez was employed with Superior Essex as a supervisor for its Franklin office.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Background
According to The Washington Post, both of Abdulazeez's parents were self-described in their divorce proceedings "as natives of 'the State of Palestine'" and they "maintained a strict, conservative Muslim lifestyle." Abdulazeez frequented a gun range with his co-workers.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Background
According to a law enforcement official, Abdulazeez's father had been placed on a terrorist watchlist and investigated many years before the shootings for giving money to an organization with possible terrorist connections. The father was questioned while on a trip abroad but was eventually removed from the watchlist. He was not charged with any crime and the information gained in that investigation revealed nothing about his son.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Mental instability and substance abuse
Abdulazeez had drug and alcohol problems, and his family tried to place him in a rehabilitation program. The New York Times reported that limits on the family's health insurance coverage "thwarted their plan to have him go into rehab." The investigation after the shooting revealed that Abdulazeez "had serious psychological problems."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Mental instability and substance abuse
According to a family representative, Abdulazeez was abusing sleeping pills, opioids, painkillers, and marijuana along with alcohol. He had also been thousands of dollars in debt and was planning to file for bankruptcy. In 2012 or 2013, Abdulazeez began therapy for his drug and alcohol abuse. He had also received treatment for depression and often stopped taking his medication. Following the shootings, Abdulazeez's parents claimed that their son had been suffering from depression. According to a source that was provided by CNN, Abdulazeez was suffering from bipolar disorder.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
Abdulazeez did not attract the attention of the FBI before the shootings. Abdulazeez traveled to Jordan five times. His first trip was in 2003 and the last trip was between April and November 2014, when Abdulazeez visited a maternal uncle. This last visit was arranged by Abdulazeez's family, who wanted him to get away from friends they believed were bad influences on him. Abdulazeez also traveled to Kuwait in 2008.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
Accounts on the length of Abdulazeez's stay with his uncle vary, ranging from two to seven months. Abdulazeez reportedly led a solitary life in Jordan.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
Abdulazeez's sole known previous contact with law enforcement was an April 20, 2015 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). A family spokesman said that the arrest triggered a severe increase in his depression.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
After his 2014 visit to Jordan, Abdulazeez told friends that Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia ought to have sent more help to Hamas during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. They also noted a change in his behavior and that he made critical statements against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
In the months before the shooting, Abdulazeez regularly attended Friday prayers at a mosque. and was thought to have written a blog post in which he urged study of the Quran to give meaning to life. According to his family, Abdulazeez had searched online about martyrdom, and had been wondering whether becoming a martyr would absolve him of his sins. On July 20, several writings belonging to Abdulazeez, dating as far back as 2013, were discovered. In them, he wrote about having suicidal thoughts after losing his job due to his drug use and his desire to "becom[e] a martyr". Authorities searching his computer found that he owned CDs and had downloaded videos by al-Qaeda recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki. An FBI spokesman stated that "[t]here are some pretty radicalized thoughts" in the writings.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
None of the writings laid out plans for an attack or spelled out a motive, however. The motivation is surmised from the fact that on July 11, Abdulazeez bought ammunition at a Wal-Mart store. On July 13, he wrote long diary entries, describing life as a kind of prison and warning, "Don't be fooled by your desires, this life is short and bitter and the opportunity to submit to Allah may pass you by." He also wrote that people mistakenly thought that the Sahaba (companions of the Prophet) were priests "living in monasteries" but that this was untrue.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Perpetrator, Abdulazeez's travel and actions preceding the shooting
The truth, he wrote, is that "[e]veryone one of them  [sic] fought jihad for the sake of Allah. Everyone one of them  [sic] had to make sacrifices in their lives." Hours before the shooting, he texted an Islamic verse to a friend that read, "Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of mine, then I have declared war against him."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Criminal investigation
An official participating in the investigation told The New York Times there was no evidence that Abdulazeez was in contact with any social media recruiters working for ISIL, explaining, "This case appears to be much more like the old model, where he was interested in radical Islam and sought to learn more about it online by looking at videos and readings."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Criminal investigation
The shooting was investigated by the FBI as a jihad case from the outset. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service was also involved in the investigation. On July 23, 2015, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, FBI special agent Ed Reinhold stated that the attack was being treated as the work of "a homegrown violent extremist" and that the FBI is exploring the idea that Abdulazeez was self-radicalized. The following month, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said that investigators might never be able to determine "what combination of disturbed mind, violent extremism and hateful ideology was at work." In November 2015, FBI Director James B. Comey said, "We're still trying to make sure we understand Abdulazeez, his motivations and associations, in a really good way."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Criminal investigation
On December 16, 2015, Comey said that the FBI investigation had concluded that "there is no doubt that [Abdulazeez] was inspired, motivated by foreign terrorist organization propaganda." Comey added that it was difficult to determine which specific terrorist group or groups inspired Abdulazeez. On the same day, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the Purple Heart would be conferred upon the victims of the shootings.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Criminal investigation
According to professor Charles Kurzman, the shootings were part of a "shift away from large-scale elaborate attempts to use weapons of mass destruction or other high-profile plots — the hallmark of al-Qaida and its affiliates — toward a lower tech do-it-yourself strategy" propagated by ISIL and other groups. President Barack Obama expressed similar thoughts in a December 2015 speech, saying:


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Criminal investigation
The terrorist threat has evolved into a new phase. As we've become better at preventing complex, multifaceted attacks like 9/11, terrorists turned to less-complicated acts of violence like the mass shootings that are all too common in our society. It is this type of attack that we saw at Fort Hood in 2009, in Chattanooga earlier this year and now in San Bernardino.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Reactions, Muslim organizations
Muslim and mosque leaders across Tennessee condemned the shootings. Paul Galloway, representing the American Muslim Advisory Council, said that Muslims in Tennessee "express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. Terrorists seek to divide our society, and we pray that all Americans will stand together united against their wanton violence and hatred."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Reactions, Muslim organizations
The National Executive Director of Council on American–Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, said, "Such inexcusable acts of violence must be repudiated by Americans of all faiths and backgrounds." The National Vice-President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA stated, "While we do not yet know what motivated this man, we urge calm, defer to authorities to justly resolve this, and pray for the departed U.S. Marines."


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Reactions, Security measures
In the wake of the shootings, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson called for increased security measures at federal facilities out of caution. On July 29, Carter released a two-page memorandum directing military commanders and civilian leaders to develop new security plans and measures, including "the option of additional armed personnel". He put an emphasis of added security at small, unguarded facilities such as the two military installations attacked by Abdulazeez.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Reactions, Security measures
On August 15, during a speech at a memorial for the victims, he called for a review of domestic security procedures for military installations across the country. On August 29, the Navy launched an official investigation looking into possible security changes, communications with law enforcement and emergency responders, and on-site personnel response. The investigation is headed by a twenty-person team, which submitted a 41-page report on September 26. Though the Marine Corps ruled out arming recruiters as a security measure since most of their job is to interact with the public, officials have begun developing other options.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Reactions, Security measures
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) announced his intention to introduce a bill that would end the ban on firearms being carried in military installations. The Navy made plans to station armed guards at all 70 reserve centers not located on military bases and is also considering providing armed protection for recruiting centers.


2015 Chattanooga shootings, Reactions, Security measures
On July 18, two days after the shootings, the governors of Florida, Texas, and Indiana ordered the arming of National Guardsmen at military offices and other facilities, along with the installation of bulletproof glass and more efficient video surveillance equipment. Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas followed suit the next day. Utah Governor Gary Herbert also announced that the state would "explore additional ways to protect our men and women serving in the Armed Forces". In 2014, Utah had passed legislation allowing soldiers at National Guard facilities to carry weapons.


2015 Chattogram City Corporation election
The 2015 Chattogram City Corporation election was held on 30 April 2015. A total of 12 candidates ran for mayor. The result was a victory for the Awami League candidate A J M Nasir Uddin. However, the results were rejected by main opposition candidate, Mohammad Manjur Alam of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
The 2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on August 9, 2015 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Contested over 90 laps on the 2.45 mile (3.94 km) road course, it was the 22nd race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Joey Logano won the race, his second of the season. Kyle Busch finished second. Kevin Harvick finished third. Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
A. J. Allmendinger won the pole for the race and led 21 laps on his way to a 24th-place finish. Kevin Harvick lead a race high of 29 laps on his way to a third-place finish. The race had eight lead changes among eight different drivers, five cautions for 16 laps and one red flag for nine minutes and three seconds.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
This was the tenth career victory for Joey Logano, second of the season, first at Watkins Glen and first at the track for Team Penske. The win brought Logano to within 42–points of Kevin Harvick in the points standings. Despite being the winning manufacturer, Ford left Watkins Glen trailing Chevrolet by 70–points in the manufacturer standings.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
The Cheez-It 355 at The Glen was carried by NBC Sports on the cable/satellite NBCSN network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Report, Background
Watkins Glen International, nicknamed "The Glen", is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The sports car racing facility is owned by the International Speedway Corporation. It was long known around the world as the home of the United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for 20 consecutive years (1961–1980) but since 1948, it has been home to road racing of nearly every class, such as Formula One, the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the Verizon IndyCar Series.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Report, Background
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956, a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968, the race was extended to six hours, earning the nickname "6 Hours of Watkins Glen". The circuit's current layout has more/less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Report, Background
The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after a fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event. The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Report, Background
Kevin Harvick entered Watkins Glen with a 46–point lead over Joey Logano. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. entered 63 back. Jimmie Johnson entered 67 back. Martin Truex, Jr. entered 86 back.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Report, Background, Entry list
The entry list for the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen was released on Monday, August 3 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-four cars were entered for the race. All but the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Ford, driven by Michael McDowell, were entered the previous week's race at Pocono.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Report, Background, Entry list
The three driver changes for this race were Chris Buescher, making his sixth Sprint Cup Series start and first since Talladega in May, Boris Said – attempting to start the race in the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford – and T. J. Bell – making his first Cup Series start since the 2012 season – driving the No. 62 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Practice, First practice
Clint Bowyer was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 1:09.412 and a speed of 127.067 mph (204.495 km/h).


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Practice, Final practice
Jeff Gordon was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 1:09.267 and a speed of 127.333 mph (204.923 km/h).


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Qualifying
A. J. Allmendinger won the pole with a time of 1:08.993 and a speed of 127.839 mph (205.737 km/h). "Track position is critical around here," Allmendinger said. "Everybody is so close, it's tough to pass, you start beating and banging on each other, and your fenders get torn up. So this is a good start, and strategy plays a lot in this race - fuel mileage and everything. I don’t know if I’ll sleep any better tonight, but I’ll be ready for Sunday."


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Qualifying
"That was all I had and I’m content with it," said Tony Stewart after qualifying third for his first race at Watkins Glen since 2012. "Three good weeks of qualifying make me happy, at three different tracks with three different packages. That's an awesome way to start the weekend." "Our laps weren’t great, we were just OK," said Kyle Busch after qualifying eighth. "We were way too loose and didn’t have the balance we needed to get the speed out of it for some of the corners."


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, First half, Start
The race was scheduled to start at 2:18 p.m., but started at 2:23 p.m. when A. J. Allmendinger led the field to the green flag. On lap 3, Jimmie Johnson overshot the entrance to the inner loop and was forced to come to a complete stop before continuing. As a result, he fell from ninth to 22nd. On lap 10, Aric Almirola got loose and spun out in turn 1. Paul Menard, who took the outside line, made minor contact with him. Both drivers continued on and the race remained green.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, First half, Start
Outside polesitter Martin Truex, Jr. passed Allmendinger in turn 11 to take the lead on lap 22. That same lap, Kevin Harvick climbed his way to second, putting Allmendinger in third-place. Jeff Gordon pitted from eighth on lap 24. Debris on the backstretch brought out the first caution of the race on lap 26. The debris came from Greg Biffle's car. Cole Whitt opted not to pit and assumed the lead Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson were tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, First half, Second quarter
The race restarted on lap 29. Brad Keselowski passed Whitt in turn 1 to take the lead. On the same lap, the hood of Denny Hamlin's car flew up. He didn't pit that lap and was black flagged for not pitting to put the hood down. As he pulled off pit road, another piece of debris flew off his car and landed in the esses. This brought out the second caution of the race on lap 32.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, First half, Second quarter
The race restarted on lap 36. Justin Allgaier got loose and spun out exiting turn 1, but the race remained green. Kyle Larson got loose and made contact with Austin Dillon on lap 42. Both went spinning in turn, but the race remained green. Debris on the backstretch brought out the third caution of the race on lap 46.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 50. An accordion wreck on the front stretch brought out the fourth caution of the race. The amount of fluid on the front stretch brought out the red flag. Allmendinger's car lost power and came to a stop past turn 10. After nine minutes and three seconds, the red flag was withdrawn and the race continued under caution.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 55. Kyle Busch tapped Keselowski going into turn 10 and took the lead on lap 57. The fifth caution of the race flew on lap 57 when Tony Stewart came to a stop just before reaching the inner loop. He jumped onto the radio and said that something broke in the drive-train. In an unrelated incident, Johnson spun out in turn 5. Matt Kenseth opted not to pit and assumed the lead, dropping Busch back to 21st.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 61. Harvick passed Kenseth going up turn 2 to take the lead. Martin Truex, Jr. got out of the groove in turn 11 and made an unscheduled stop with 22 laps to go. The culprit was a flat left-front tire.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, Second half, Final ten laps
Harvick was still leading with ten laps to go with no guarantee of making the finish on his fuel load. Allmendinger was the first to run out as he pitted from the top ten with seven laps to go. Harvick ran out of fuel on the final lap and was passed by Logano going into turn 11 who took the checkered flag.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
“I was running down Harvick there for a little bit and once I got close to him he started to pick up his pace a little bit, which was good because I needed him to run out of gas,” Logano said. “I started to catch him a little bit and I drove into one too hard and started to wheel hop. I just about lost it and at that point you just hope he runs out of gas, which he did in the last corner. It makes up for last week.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
We lost the race last week the same way, so it makes up for it to get it this week.” “I had a chance,” Kyle Busch said after finishing second. “I could’ve went up there, I could’ve raced the 22, I could’ve passed him. I felt like I was better than he was, but my crew chief called in scared on the fuel situation from last week and I don’t blame him. We definitely didn’t want to run out again. We wanted to make sure we could be there at the end.” “We ran pretty good with just the way the fuel strategy worked out, we had to save a lot battling with Kevin (Harvick)," Kenseth said. "I thought (Joey Logano) and (Kyle Busch) were going to go right by me and we actually had a lot of car left."


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Media, Television
NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled pit road on the television side.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Media, Radio
MRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and two–time Watkins Glen winner Rusty Wallace called the race from the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch.


2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Media, Radio
Dave Moody called the race from a scaffold outside of the esses when the field was racing through turn 1 and up the esses of turns 2, 3 and 4. Mike Bagley called the race from a scaffold outside of the outer loop when the field was racing up the back straight, through the inner loop and down turn 5. Kurt Becker called the race from a spotter stand outside of the short chute when the field was racing down the short chute and rounding turns 10 and 11. Winston Kelley, Alex Hayden and Steve Post worked pit road for MRN.


2015 Chelmsford City Council election
The 2015 Chelmsford City Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Chelmsford City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
The 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup (known as the Betfred Gold Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 87th annual running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup horse race and was held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday 13 March 2015.


2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
The race was won by Coneygree with a winning margin of a length and a half at the line. Coneygree became the first novice to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup since 1974.


2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Build-up
A week before the race Silviniaco Conti was listed as the favourite at odds of 3/1.


2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Build-up
The race was shown live on Channel 4 in the UK and Ireland.


2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Full Result
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. shd = short-head.† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated. PU = pulled-up. NR = non runner


2015 Chempaka by-election
A by-election was held for the Kelantan State Assembly seat of Chempaka on 22 March 2015 following the nomination day on 10 March 2015. The seat fell vacant after the death of the incumbent five-term assemblyman and former Menteri Besar of Kelantan, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat from prostate cancer in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan on 12 February 2015. Niz Aziz was a member of PAS, part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. Nik Abdul Aziz had retained the seat in the 13th General Election in 2013 by beating Wan Razman Wan Abd Razak of the Barisan Nasional with a majority of 6,500 votes.


2015 Chempaka by-election
The Chempaka by-election saw a five-way battle between PAS's Ahmad Fathan Mahmood and independent candidates Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, Fadzillah Hussin, Aslah Mamat and Sharif Mahmood. Sharif Mahmood is the vice-president of Malay rights group Perkasa and also a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He and Fadzillah Hussin were sacked by UMNO for contesting in the Chempaka by-election. UMNO had resolved not to contest the election, ostensibly to focus on flood relief efforts in Kelantan.


2015 Chempaka by-election, Results
PAS candidate Ahmad Fathan Mahmood won the election with a landslide garnering 96.4% of the votes. All four independent candidates lost their election deposits for failing to garner 10% of the votes.


2015 Chennaiyin FC season
The 2015 season was Chennaiyin FC's second season of Indian Super League. Chennayin defeated FC Goa 3–2 in the finals to win the season.


2015 Chennaiyin FC season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2015 Chennaiyin FC season, Transfers
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2015 Chennaiyin FC season, Transfers
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2015 Cherwell District Council election
The 2015 Cherwell District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of the Cherwell District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Cheshire East Council election
The 2015 Cheshire East Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of the Cheshire East Council in England. They occurred on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election
The 2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election took place on 7 May 2015, electing members of Cheshire West and Chester Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections across the country as well as the general election.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election
All 75 seats were contested. Labour won a small majority with a total of 38 seats on a 3.2% swing from the Conservatives, meaning that the council moved from Conservative control to Labour control.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election
Cheshire West and Chester was the only council to change hands in this way in the 2015 elections, and this unique result has been variously attributed to public dissatisfaction with fracking in the area, local planning issues, the organisation and leadership of the local parties, and to a generally difficult climate for Conservatives in the area. In addition, the only Liberal Democrat (Lib Dem) seat on the council was lost, while an independent was elected to the Parkgate ward.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election
No other minor party won a seat, but both the Green Party and United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) fielded large numbers of candidates and saw significant positive swings. Labour's Samantha Dixon became the first woman to lead the council, while the previous leader Mike Jones survived a Conservative leadership challenge and became Leader of the Opposition.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Background
Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC) had been governed since its formation in 2009 by the Conservative Party. However, the Conservatives lost seats in CWaC against the national trend at the 2011 local election, and the Chester area was identified by The Economist before the election as a challenging area for the party.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Background
The election also took place at an especially bad period nationally for the Liberal Democrats, who lost 310 councillors in England at the previous local elections, and at a period of growth for other minor parties – especially UKIP, who won the CWaC council area in the 2014 European Parliament elections and were identified by the BBC as potential spoiler candidates. Although there were several by-elections in the 2011-2015 term, the number of councillors representing each party did not change over the course of the Council.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Background
In total, there were 75 Conservative candidates, 75 Labour candidates, 45 Green candidates, 43 Liberal Democrat candidates, 33 UKIP candidates, 4 TUSC candidates, 1 Socialist Labour candidate and 9 candidates running as independents. Of the incumbents, 14 did not seek re-election, including several parliamentary candidates: Bob Thompson, formerly the only Lib Dem on the council, stood for Parliament in City of Chester; the former Labour councillor Julia Tickridge stood in Weaver Vale; and Justin Madders, previous leader of the Labour group, stood in and was elected to Ellesmere Port and Neston.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
The Statement of Persons Nominated was published on Friday 10 April 2015. The election took place on 7 May 2015, on the same day as the general election, various parish council elections, town council elections in Frodsham, Neston, Northwich and Winsford, and a referendum on town planning in Malpas. As is standard for council elections in England, first-past-the-post voting was used in single seat wards, and block voting was used in multi-seat wards. All 75 seats on the CWaC council were up for election.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
Of around 34,000 postal ballots issued, about 1,300 papers for Frodsham and the Garden Quarter district of Chester were voided and re-issued due to a printing error that removed the party emblems of some candidates, and 284 were not delivered in time for the election. An attack leaflet targeted at Labour leader Samantha Dixon was distributed to Chester city centre residents on the day of the election which lacked printing details and may have contained "incorrect information", in violation of the Representation of the People Act 1983. Cheshire Police confirmed that they were investigating the leaflet.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
The count for the parliamentary election to City of Chester took priority, and so the count for CWaC began on at 2 PM, 8 May. The count took place at Northgate Arena, and ended up running through the whole of the allotted 9-hour day without a decisive result. The count was suspended on a "cliffhanger", with Labour and the Conservatives tied at 36 seats each after a recount was called on the two decisive two-seat ward of the Newton.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
The count resumed on 9 May, and after a quick "bundle recount" suggested a Labour lead, the Conservative Party asked for a full recount, lasting another three and a half hours. The second recount revealed that Labour's Gill Watson led by 34 votes over the incumbent Adrian Walmsley in the final seat. The final result was delivered at 5.30 PM on 9 May 2015 after 14 hours of counting.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
The final results saw the Conservatives retain the largest share of the popular vote, but with a smaller proportion than at the previous election. Labour gained 6 seats (5 from Conservative, 1 from Lib Dem), the Conservatives lost 6 seats (5 to Labour, 1 to independent) and the Lib Dems lost their only seat in Hoole to Labour. Labour therefore won an absolute majority, with 38 seats to the Conservatives 36 on the 75 seat council. This made CWaC the only council in the entire country to transfer from Conservative to Labour control at the 2015 elections, a result that was described by ConservativeHome as a "catastrophic loss" and by the Chester Chronicle as "deeply embarrassing" for the local Conservative party.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
No minor parties won any seats, but UKIP and the Greens saw large positive swings both across the borough and in individual wards, including a 9% swing to UKIP in Blacon and a 17.5% swing to the Greens in Garden Quarter where they finished second.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
In all, there were 22 new councillors to CWaC council – 12 from Labour, 9 from the Conservatives and one independent. Local Labour leader Samantha Dixon became the council leader, making her the first woman to hold the role, while former council leader Mike Jones remained leader of the Conservative group despite a leadership challenge.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Election proceedings
Following the election, the first council meeting under Labour control took place on 21 May 2015. The new administration significantly restructured the council: the existing scrutiny committees were merged while new local committees were established for Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winslow, and rural Cheshire, and the roles of Lord Mayor of Chester and Chair of the Council were separated. This meant that the casting vote remained with former Lord Mayor, Bob Rudd (Labour), instead of the new Lord Mayor, Hugo Deynem (Conservative), which Conservatives criticized for politicizing the role. The new overview and scrutiny committee was arranged on a nonpartisan basis, with equal numbers of Labour and Conservative members and the casting vote given to the independent Martin Barker.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Reactions and analysis
As leader of the only Labour group to take control of a former Conservative council at the elections, Samantha Dixon described her local party as "a little ray of hope in the North West" but warned that it would be difficult to operate Labour policies under a national Conservative majority government, and proposed a more consensual cross-party approach to running the council. The outgoing Conservative leader, Mike Jones, suggested that a Labour majority of just one would decrease private sector confidence in the council.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Reactions and analysis
Fracking was noted by both the Chester Chronicle and BBC News as a politically hot topic in Cheshire, particularly around Upton where one gas company had planning permission for a drilling site, and the Conservative loss was partly attributed to community fears about the practice. Matt Bryan, an anti-fracking Labour candidate in Upton unseated the sitting Conservative councillor in what the Chester Chronicle described as arguably "the biggest poll shock". The Labour MP for City of Chester, Chris Matheson, who had similarly defeated the incumbent Stephen Mosley against the national trend, described unhappiness with fracking planning permission procedures and planning more generally as key issues that had helped Labour locally.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Reactions and analysis
The loss of the safe Conservative seat of Parkgate to the independent Martin Barker was also described as a "surprise" by AboutMyArea. Barker stood on a platform of localism for Parkgate and his victory was attributed by the site to dissatisfaction with the choice of Conservative candidate, who lived outside Parkgate in Mickle Trafford.


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Reactions and analysis
On taking office, Dixon credited the result to a "positive campaign" by the Labour Party rather than any mistakes by the Conservative Party. However, Private Eye's "Rotten Boroughs" column blamed "own goals" by Jones – such as removing the planning committee chairperson and withdrawing the party whip from councillors who voted against developments that Jones supported, insulting members of the public, and removing a respect clause from the council constitution – for having "handed victory to Labour". There was similar criticism from ConservativeHome, whose correspondent accused Jones of behaving "in a way which allowed our opponents to paint us as dodgy, or even corrupt", and from councillor Mark Stocks, who launched an unsuccessful leadership challenge against Jones, saying:


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Reactions and analysis
"As the only council in the entire country to make the transition from Conservative to Labour, someone has to take the responsibility for what must be considered a monumental defeat. This responsibility has to start at the top. For me, it is an unavoidable belief that with proper leadership, Cheshire West and Chester would have followed the national trend and remained under Conservative control."


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Reactions and analysis
Jones, supported by other Conservative councillors, rejected this suggestion, noting the fact that the local Conservative Party had taken the largest share of the popular vote at the council election and retained the parliamentary seat of Weaver Vale against opinion poll predictions. When looked at this way, Jones said, the result "does not seem like a catastrophe".


2015 Cheshire West and Chester Council election, Changes between 2015 and 2019, Ellesmere Port Town by-election 2018
Labour councillor Lynn Clare (Ellesmere Port Town) died in February 2018. The by-election was held on 3 May. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Chesterfield Borough Council election
Elections to Chesterfield Borough Council in Derbyshire, England were held on 7 May 2015, at the same time as the 2015 UK General Election. All of the council falls up for election every four years and the Labour group increased their majority on the council.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
The 2015 Chevrolet Dual in Detroit was the first and only doubleheader of the 2015 IndyCar Series season, hosting Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2015 IndyCar Series season. It marked the eighth Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix since the Verizon IndyCar Series made its debut at the Belle Isle racetrack in 2007 and the third time it held a "dual" two-race IndyCar contest over two days.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
Initial practice and then qualifications were held on Friday May 29, 2015. The pole position for the first race was won by Will Power for Team Penske. Race day practice occurred in the morning on Saturday May 30 and Race 1 took place in the afternoon with Carlos Muñoz winning Race 1 of the dual after it was called after lap 47 of a scheduled 70 laps due to rain and electrical storms. His Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti took second, and third place went to Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
Qualifying for Race 2 was only partially completed on Sunday May 31 when it was canceled due to heavy rains causing too much standing water on the track. As a result, starting positions were determined by overall point standings. The rain tapered off later in the after race took place later in the day as scheduled. Sébastien Bourdais of KV Racing Technology won a timed-Race 2 which went 68 laps out of a scheduled 70. Takuma Sato racing for A. J. Foyt Enterprises and Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing taking the third podium spot.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background
In the 2014 doubleheader, Team Penske swept the two races with Will Power winning Race 1 and Hélio Castroneves winning Race 2. This year Juan Pablo Montoya seeks to build on his Indy 500 win the previous week. Montoya leads the IndyCar series points standings heading into the Belle Isle Grand Prix and will have two chances to stretch his lead.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background
If Montoya's  teammate on Will Power, the 2014 IndyCar Series season champion, starts in the second race of the doubleheader on May 31 it would will mark his 100th start with Team Penske and his 145 IndyCar start since 2005. Power came in a very close second at the Indy 500, and is second in the overall standings. He hopes to overtake Montoya in the points race.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background
The only drivers in the top five coming into the dual races is not on Team Penske is Scott Dixon of Ganassi Racing who is 20 points back from Power and Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing who is two points behind Castroneves for Penske drivers which holds three of the top four point total positions so far in the series. Graham stated that “I feel really good about Detroit." and with his second-place finish in Dual 1 in the previous year's Belle Isle Grand Prix hopes that "we’ll be there in the hunt". The next closet driver in the overall standings is Josef Newgarden from the CFH Racing team and he is 31 points back from Rahal.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background
The top product development executive at General Motors, Mark Reuss, will be the honorary pace car driver of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for both races, with two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk being the pace car driver during the races.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background, Pre-race changes
Prior to practice and qualifications which took place on Friday May 29, Dale Coyne Racing announced that Tristan Vautier, who drove their No. 18 Honda in the Indy 500 on May 24, would drive their No. 19 entry in the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix doubleheader. When he raced for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2013, Vautier finished 11th and 14th at the Belle Isle Grand Prix. In addition Dale Coyne Racing announced that Rodolfo González, who made his IndyCar Series debut for the team in April at the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, and would be driving their No. 18 Honda at Belle Isle.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background, Pre-race changes
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports announced on May 26 that Conor Daly would drive the team's No. 5 Honda in the race as a substitute for James Hinchcliffe who was still recovering from injuries he received in a crash on May 18 before the Indianapolis 500. Daly qualified 22nd in the team's No. 43 entry for that race and prior to moving up the IndyCar series drove for the team in Indy Lights in 2011.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background, Pre-race changes
As part of ongoing track improvements first began in 2007, new pavement throughout the course has been laid down. In addition the backstretch between the 6 and 7 turns of the 14-turn course has been moved to the left of the existing street to remove a slight "kink" making the straightaway more straight.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Background, Pre-race changes
Alterations to both the Chevrolet and Honda road/street course aerodynamic platforms have been implemented by corresponding teams to remove the outer vertical wall of the front wing assembly end fence, attached flaps and strakes of the cars. The teams have installed a patch where the vertical wall had been attached to the front wing assembly. According to IndyCar, these mandated changes would only require minimal balance change by the teams but will increase downforce, creating a potential performance increase on the 2.35-mile, 14-turn street circuit.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 1 – Saturday May 30, Qualifying
23 cars entered for qualifications for the Grand Prix. During the practice session prior to qualifications for Race 1, Chevy again dominated the field posting the top 9 cars with the best lap performances with Takuma Sato being the only Honda car in the top 10. Three rounds of knockout qualifying for Race 1 took place on Friday May 30, including the "Firestone Fast Six" which determined the Verizon P1 Award for the pole position which was won by Will Power for Team Penske. Power also set a new qualifying lap track record while earning the number one starting position.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 1 – Saturday May 30, Race summary
Inclement weather dogged the race from the beginning, with a multi-car incident going into lap 2 when Stefano Coletti initiated a contact causing a 4 car cascade, knocking Graham Rahal out of the race. All of the other drivers managed to return to racing, though Tony Kanaan lost multiple laps while his car was repaired and his tail wing assembly replaced following the incident. Charlie Kimball lost control coming out of turn 2 in lap 14 due to slippage on the wet course and made contact with the outer wall removing him from the competition.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 1 – Saturday May 30, Race summary
Timing of changes in tire selection between wet condition tires and "slicks" (dry condition tires) proved to be pivotal in the outcome of the race. Both Carlos Muñoz and Marco Andretti of  Andretti Autosport delayed switching from the slicks to the wet tires for nearly 10 laps while most other teams pitted to make changes from dry to wet tire set-ups. This allowed both drivers to open a substantial lead before they pitted to make the change, just as the race was called due to lightning strikes in the area.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 1 – Saturday May 30, Race summary
The race was called before lap 48 could be run due to rain and the electrical storms with Muñoz being comfortably in the lead at the time. Andretti coming in second, and third place going to Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske. This was Muñoz's first career victory in an IndyCar race.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 1 – Saturday May 30, Notes
Race scheduled for 70 laps but shortened due to lightning in the area.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Qualifying
For Race 2, all cars participated in one of two groups which were scheduled for 20 minutes each on Sunday morning. The pole positions was to be awarded to the best overall lap time in the qualifying sessions with the remainder of the cars in the same group as the pole winner ranked in the odd-numbered race starting positions based on fastest lap times. Then even-numbered starting positions would be determined from the other group based on fastest lap times.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Qualifying
While group one managed to complete its qualifying round, group two was unable to complete any qualifying laps. This was due to heavy rains creating too much standing water on the track and bringing out a red flag less than 4 mins into. As a result, the starting order was then set according to overall point standing. This erased rookie Sage Karam's best qualifying time which had him poised to be either in the pole position or starting second. Karam's  qualifying time would have marked the highest start position for any rookie in the 2014 to date.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Race summary
Rain had subsided quite a bit by the time of the start of race 2, though the track remained cool and wet which led IndyCar to mandate that all drivers begin the race on their teams "wet" tires. Shortly into the race Carlos Muñoz who had won race 1 the previous day, was forced from the race with mechanical problems in lap 5. After a brief stint of rain the weather cleared and the course began drying out as racing continued. Rookie driver Rodolfo González lost control on wet pavement going into Turn 4 on lap 35, hitting the outer wall and bringing out the first all course yellow flag of the race.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Race summary
Racing resumed on lap 40 but two laps later another full course yellow came out as Luca Filippi and Stefano Coletti both lost control, making contact with tire barriers, in separate incidents in Turn 2 and Turn 3 respectively. Both cars were able to return to racing which resumed again on lap 44.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Race summary
Coming out of the pits after switching to “dry” tires, Josef Newgarden lost control when he hit a remaining wet patch on the course and slammed into the outer wall coming out of Turn 2 and bringing out the yellow flag on lap 50. Rookie Conor Daly who had been leading the race from laps 39 to 50 was finally forced to pit during the yellow, cycling the lead to Sébastien Bourdais. Racing resumed 3 laps later until a multi-car crash in lap 55 once again involving Coletti as well as Sage Karam and Jack Hawksworth occurred in Turn 3. All three cars were able to return to racing however.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Race summary
Contact between Charlie Kimball and Scott Dixon forced Dixon off the track and out of the race in lap 59 bringing out a full-course caution. Racing resumed the following lap but the yellow flag came out once again 2 laps later. Fuel strategy became an issue, with questions about whether the three lead cars had enough to complete the full 70 laps without needing to pit. If the field remained under yellow long enough it might have lowered fuel burn rates to allow the leaders to conserve enough fuel to complete a full race. However an incident between Will Power and teammate Hélio Castroneves in lap 64, when Castroneves clipped Power from behind, brought out a red flag while the track crew scrambled to clear the course of debris and get the race restarted before a timed-end of the race.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Race summary
After a restart with just over 4 minutes and 30 seconds remaining before a timed race call would end the race, which occurred on lap 68, Sébastien Bourdais of KV Racing Technology managed to hold onto the lead to take the win, followed by Takuma Sato racing for A. J. Foyt Enterprises and Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing taking the third podium spot.


2015 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Race 2 – Sunday May 31, Notes
Race scheduled for 70 laps but shortened due to time limit.


2015 Chicago Bears season
The 2015 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 96th season in the National Football League. After the firing of general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman following the 2014 season, the team hired former New Orleans Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace and Denver Broncos head coach John Fox to fill those positions, respectively. Fox's hiring marked the Bears' third head coach in four seasons.


2015 Chicago Bears season
The Bears entered the 2015 season with hopes of improving their 5–11 record in 2014. The team started the regular season with a rough start, losing their first three games. In the following eight games, the team went 5–3, including a Thanksgiving win over the rival Green Bay Packers. However, the Bears then lost the first three games in December, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention in week fifteen by the Minnesota Vikings. In week sixteen against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears improved upon their 2014 record with a 26–21 win. After losing in the final game of the season to the Detroit Lions, the Bears ended the season 6–10 and last in the NFC North.


2015 Chicago Bears season
The 2015 Bears were more competitive in games compared to the 2014 team, with six of their ten losses being by less than a touchdown. Additionally, new coordinators Adam Gase and Vic Fangio helped revitalize the offense and defense, respectively; under Gase, quarterback Jay Cutler threw a career-low eleven interceptions and recorded a 92.3 passer rating, the highest in his career. With Fangio, the defense allowed 397 points; the last two defenses had previously allowed franchise highs in points, including 442 in 2014.


2015 Chicago Bears season
However, the team was marred by injuries during the year, with only four players starting all sixteen games. The Bears also went 1–7 at home in 2015, the worst home record in franchise history. This was also the first time since 1973 that the Bears failed to win a home game against a division opponent.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Front office
After three years, general manager Phil Emery was fired on December 29, 2014. Later in the day, former Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants general manager and presidential assistant of Bears' founder George Halas, Ernie Accorsi, was hired by the organization as a consultant to help the team find a new GM and head coach.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Front office
On December 29, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Bears had four candidates for the GM position: Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel and former Bears' director of pro scouting Chris Ballard, Giants' vice president of player evaluation and 2012 finalist for the Bears' GM job Marc Ross, Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson, and Baltimore Ravens director of pro personnel Vince Newsome. Ravens' assistant general manager Eric DeCosta was also rumored to be a potential candidate by Dan Pompei, while Minnesota Vikings assistant GM George Paton declined an offer. DeCosta later announced his intention to remain with the Ravens. Later in the week, Chicago requested an interview with New Orleans Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace and Houston Texans director of pro scouting Brian Gaine.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Front office
On January 6, the Bears conducted interviews for general manager with Gaine and Dawson. Ballard and Pace were interviewed the next day, and Pace was hired on January 8. On January 13, director of pro personnel Kevin Turks was fired. The Bears hired former Saints area scout Josh Lucas as their director of player personnel on January 18. In the scouting department, three scouts were hired on May 15. Ravens national scout Joe Douglas became the director of college scouting, Broncos assistant director of pro personnel Anthony Kelly as director of pro scouting and New York Jets area scout Christopher Prescott was hired in the same role.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
On the same day of Emery's firing, two-year head coach Marc Trestman was also fired, as was offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer. Quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh's contract expired on the same day, and was not retained by the team.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
In the hunt for a new head coach, the Bears requested interviews with Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. The team also showed interest in Ravens' offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone. However, Kubiak announced on January 11 that he will stay with Baltimore.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
The Bears went to Seattle on January 2 to interview Quinn, and the following day, interviewed Gase in Denver. Bowles was interviewed on January 8, while Austin and Marrone were interviewed five days later. On January 14, former Broncos' head coach John Fox, who had been released on January 12, was interviewed. Two days after his interview, Fox was hired, signing a four-year contract.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
Looking for an offensive coordinator, the Bears requested an interview with Titans tight ends coach Mike Mularkey, but were denied. The Bears also showed interest in San Francisco 49ers quarterback coach Geep Chryst and former Kansas head coach Charlie Weis for the OC position. Gase was selected for the OC role on January 21. Defensively, 49ers DC Vic Fangio was hired on January 20, and brought 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell to serve the same position, replacing Jon Hoke.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the Bears announced that they would be switching to a base 3–4 defense in 2015, a defensive scheme that Fangio had operated in San Francisco. Four of Fox's assistants with the Broncos were brought to Chicago: Broncos special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers was hired on January 19, replacing Joe DeCamillis; the next day, assistant defensive backs coach Sam Garnes, offensive line coach Dave Magazu and assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton II were hired for the same positions they had served in Denver.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
The same day, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, DeCamillis, tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, linebackers coach Reggie Herring and assistant special teams coach Dwayne Stukes were all officially released. To replace Cavanaugh and Herring, respectively, the Browns' Dowell Loggains and Atlanta Falcons' Glenn Pires were hired. Saints' assistant offensive line coach Frank Smith succeeded Bischoff at the tight ends coach spot after being hired on January 22. Three days later, defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni left the Bears to join the Houston Texans, and Broncos DL coach Jay Rodgers was hired.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
Two days later, Bears assistant DL coach Clint Hurtt was reassigned to outside linebackers. On February 10, Ohio State running backs coach Stan Drayton joined the Bears to serve the same position. The next day, North Shore Senior High School assistant football coach and former NFL player Ben Wilkerson was hired as assistant OL coach, while incumbent OL coach Pat Meyer was not retained.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Organizational changes, Coaching
On January 21, strength and conditioning coach Mike Clark was fired. The next day, the Broncos' Jason George was hired to take his place. Broncos offensive quality control coach Bo Hardegree was hired as an offensive assistant on January 24. Three days later, Chicago offensive quality control coaches Carson Walch and Brendan Nugent were fired. On February 4, Central Michigan director of strength and conditioning Rick Perry was hired as an assistant strength coach. On February 10, the team announced they would not retain defensive quality control coach Chris Harris.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes
The Bears entered the new league year with 23 free agents, three of whom were exclusive rights free agents. The NFL's deadline to apply the franchise tag to players was on March 2, though the Bears did not tag any players. Free agency officially began on March 10.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Acquisitions
The first signing of 2015 was on January 28, when the Bears signed Toronto Argonauts receiver John Chiles to a reserve/future contract.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Acquisitions
On the second day of free agency, the Bears signed Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee to a five-year deal worth $38.75 million with $15.5 million guaranteed, and New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle ($11.25 million, $5 million guaranteed), and San Diego Chargers receiver Eddie Royal ($15 million, $10 million guaranteed) to three-year deals.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Acquisitions
Afterwards, the Bears began signing players to one-year deals. On March 16, Vikings offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse agreed to a contract; two days later, Chiefs long-snapper Thomas Gafford was signed. From March 24–27, the Bears added four defenders: defensive ends Jarvis Jenkins (Redskins) and Ray McDonald (49ers) on March 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Mason Foster on March 25, and Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Alan Ball on March 27. On March 31, Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers joined the team.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Acquisitions
The first signing of April occurred on the first day, when Cardinals linebacker Sam Acho was acquired, and the next day, former Broncos center Will Montgomery was signed. Later in the month, on April 23, Falcons tight end Bear Pascoe was signed. June's first acquisition was also a one-year signing, when the team signed Tracy Porter on June 8.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Acquisitions
On April 30, Chiefs safety Malcolm Bronson was signed to a two-year deal. On May 11, the Bears signed quarterback Pat Devlin, linebacker Kyle Woestmann and defensive tackle Terry Williams to three-year contracts. The next day, New York Jets tight end Chris Pantale was claimed off waivers. On June 18, safety Sherrod Martin and running back Daniel Thomas agreed to contracts of one year. Two days before the start of training camp, on July 27, the team signed Arizona Rattlers receiver/returner A. J. Cruz, while former Cardinals defensive lineman David Carter was acquired the next day.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Departures
On March 6, the Bears agreed to trade receiver Brandon Marshall to the Jets for a fifth-round draft pick; the trade did not become official until the start of free agency.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Departures
Defensive tackle Stephen Paea was the first of the Bears' free agents to leave the team, signing with the Redskins on March 10. Two days later, safety Chris Conte joined the Buccaneers. On April 9, cornerback Charles Tillman was signed by the Panthers. On May 13, 14 and 17, linebacker Darryl Sharpton, cornerback Danny McCray and receiver Josh Morgan departed the Bears to sign with the Cardinals, Cowboys and Saints, respectively.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Roster changes, Departures
On April 2, safety Anthony Walters and center Roberto Garza, who had been the team's longest-tenured player, were released after ten seasons. On May 11, linebacker Khaseem Greene and defensive lineman Austen Lane were released, and eleven days later, newly acquired defensive tackle Ray McDonald was released after being accused of domestic violence and child endangerment. On June 18, Pat Devlin and tight end Jacob Maxwell were released, as was Jonathan Brown ten days later.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Pre-draft
On March 26, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that the Bears' five biggest needs entering the draft were at outside linebacker, nose tackle, offensive line, safety, and wide receiver.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Pre-draft
The general consensus regarding the Bears' seventh-overall pick was to select an edge rusher like Vic Beasley (Clemson), Dante Fowler (Florida), Shane Ray (Missouri) and Randy Gregory (Nebraska), though WBBM-TV's Greg Gabriel believed the Bears should trade down from the pick, with players like Arik Armstead (Oregon), Danny Shelton (Washington), Eddie Goldman (Florida State), Jordan Phillips (Oklahoma) and Malcom Brown (Texas) being fits for the Bears' new 3–4 defense if the Bears were to trade down to a spot between 10th and 20th.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Pre-draft
Another suggested position to draft with the first-rounder was wide receiver, particularly Alabama's Amari Cooper, who, despite not being considered "a true need, a talent like his would be tough to pass up here."


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Pre-draft
A defensive position considered for the pick was nose tackle; Sports Illustrated writer Andy Staples believed a 3–4 defense should focus on NT, and as a result, the Bears should draft Shelton, followed by a linebacker in later rounds, such as Eric Kendricks (UCLA), Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State), Stephone Anthony (Clemson) and Paul Dawson (TCU) in the second round, and afterwards, draft a running back like Buck Allen (USC) or Mike Davis (South Carolina).


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Pre-draft
Prior to the draft, the Bears met with 37 players; 25 had private visits, 6 met at the NFL Scouting Combine, 4 met at their college's Pro Days, 3 had meetings at the Senior Bowl and the East–West Shrine Game. Iowa State's David Irving was the only player to have a workout with the team.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Pre-draft
The team held a local Pro Day on April 7, which featured players from the Chicago area, including: Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian, safety Ibraheim Campbell and receiver Kyle Prater, quarterbacks Taylor Graham (Hawaii), Chandler Whitmer (Connecticut) and Matt Behrendt (Wisconsin-Whitewater), safety Corey Cooper (Nebraska), offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr. (Michigan State) and tight ends Matt LaCosse (Illinois), James O'Shaughnessy (Illinois State) and E. J. Bibbs (Iowa State).


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Draft class
The Bears attempted to trade quarterback Jay Cutler to the Titans for their #2 overall pick, but Tennessee was not interested. Eventually, the Bears drafted West Virginia receiver Kevin White with the seventh-overall pick; considered the top receiver in the 2015 draft class by NFL.com analyst Mike Mayock, White caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Draft class
In the second round, Florida State defensive lineman Eddie Goldman was selected; considered a first-round prospect who had fallen due to his toughness, the 2014 Associated Press All-American recorded 35 tackles, four sacks and eight tackles for loss in his final college season. With their third-rounder, Oregon center Hroniss Grasu was drafted; the 2013 and 2014 Rimington Trophy finalist, the Bears were convinced by guard Kyle Long to draft his former Oregon teammate. With White and Grasu's selections, this marked the first time since 2008 that the Bears drafted at least two offensive players with their first three picks.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Draft class
In the fourth round, Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford was selected; during his time with Michigan State, he recorded 2,967 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns on 577 carries, while also recording 18 games with 100+ rushing yards, the third-most in school history. He holds the Spartans' record for the most consecutive Big Ten Conference games with 100 rushing yards with 15, ending his college career with 16.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Draft class
The Bears drafted their second defensive player in the fifth round, Penn State safety Adrian Amos; having started 38 consecutive games for the Nittany Lions, Amos recorded 42 tackles and three interceptions in 2014, with career totals of 149 tackles, seven interceptions, three sacks and nine tackles for loss. The Bears' final pick of the draft was in the sixth round, drafting TCU tackle Tayo Fabuluje; the 2012 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year, he skipped football in 2013 due to family issues before returning in 2014 to help TCU win the Big 12 title.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Draft class
Each of the draft class members agreed to four-year deals with the Bears. Langford, Amos and Fabuluje were the first to sign, doing so on May 5. The following day, White and Goldman were signed. Grasu was the last player to sign a contract, agreeing to a deal on May 8.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Undrafted free agents
After the draft, on May 3, the Bears signed 15 undrafted free agents.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Undrafted free agents
On offense, six players were signed: ECU quarterback Shane Carden, who completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 4,736 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2014; Coastal Carolina guard Chad Hamilton, who was named to first-team All-Big South Conference in 2013 and 2014; Arkansas tackle Cameron Jefferson, who was an honorable mention for the All-Mountain West Conference team while playing for UNLV; Illinois State receiver Cameron Meredith, who led the Redbirds with 66 receptions for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014; Baylor receiver and punt returner Levi Norwood, who holds the school record for the most punt return touchdowns with two in 2013, while also catching 128 passes for 1,626 yards and 11 touchdowns; and Alabama tight end Brian Vogler, who recorded 17 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns in four years.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, 2015 NFL draft, Undrafted free agents
Defensively, seven players were signed: TCU linebacker Jonathan Anderson, who recorded 30 tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss in 2014; Rice cornerback Bryce Callahan, who recorded 145 tackles, 13 interceptions (second-most in school history), 14 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 47 college games, including a career-best 43 tackles in 2014; East Central cornerback Qumain Black, a 2013 first-team All-Great American Conference member during his time at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, who had 25 tackles and an interception with East Central in 2014; UCF cornerback Jacoby Glenn, who recorded 48 tackles and seven picks in 2014, and was named second-team All-American (UCF's first All-American since 2007) and American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year; UCLA safety Anthony Jefferson, who led the Bruins with eight pass breakups while ranking third with 72 tackles, awarding him a spot on the second-team All-Pac-12 Conference roster; Miami defensive end Olsen Pierre, who recorded 96 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and six pass breakups in 44 college games; and Washington linebacker John Timu, who recorded 108 tackles, two interceptions, and two touchdowns in 2014. Chicago also signed two special-teamers: Toledo kicker Jeremiah Detmer, the 2013 Mid-American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, who had an 84.4 conversion percentage during his career; and Old Dominion long snapper Rick Lovato, who didn't miss a game in college. However, Detmer was released on June 18.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Offseason activities
The Bears held a voluntary offseason program on April 13, with the players focusing on strength and conditioning. Due to having a new head coach, a voluntary veteran minicamp was held on April 28–30. A rookie minicamp was held on May 8–10, while ten organized team activities were scheduled, three of which were open to the media (May 27, June 3, June 10). Finally, a mandatory full-squad minicamp was held on June 16–18.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Offseason activities
Players reported to Training Camp in Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais on July 29, though practice officially began the following day. The camp lasted until August 16, though no practices were held on August 4, 9 and 12–14.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Offseason, Offseason activities
During the timespan of Training Camp prior to the first game of the preseason, various transactions occurred. On the first day of camp, rookie Chad Hamilton retired, and on July 31, Tyler Moore was signed to a three-year contract to take his place. On August 5, tight end Brian Vogler was released. Six days later, guard Ryan Groy was traded to the New England Patriots for linebacker Matthew Wells.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Schedule
The Bears preseason schedule was released on April 9. The team opened the preseason at home against the Miami Dolphins, who had defeated the Bears in their meeting in 2014, followed by visiting two 2014 playoff teams in the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati; the Bears had last faced the two teams in the season openers of 2012 and 2013, respectively. Chicago ended the preseason hosting annual preseason opponent Cleveland Browns, who the Bears had lost to in the 2014 preseason game.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
The Bears struggled early in the preseason-opening game, starting with the Dolphins scoring on the opening drive with Ryan Tannehill's two-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry, concluding a 14-play, 85-yard drive. On the first offensive play, tackle Jordan Mills was penalized for a false start, and after four plays, the Bears punted; Chicago would not score until early in the second quarter with Robbie Gould's 48-yard field goal. The Dolphins responded to the field goal with Caleb Sturgis' 31-yard field goal later in the quarter.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
With 1:02 left in the first half, backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen attempted to lead a two-minute drill, and the offense reached the Dolphins' 16-yard line, but with no timeouts and wide receiver Josh Bellamy being unable to get out of bounds, the clock ran out. Early in the second half, cornerback Sherrick McManis pulled the ball away from Mike Gillislee, and recovered at the Dolphins' 37, which led to Gould's 23-yard field goal; after Miami punted, Gould narrowed the margin by one point with a 21-yard kick.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
On the Dolphins' next play, McLeod Bethel-Thompson was intercepted by linebacker John Timu; seven plays later, runningback Ka'Deem Carey scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give the Bears the lead, followed by Clausen's two-point conversion pass to wide receiver A. J. Cruz. In the fourth quarter, Bethel-Thompson was intercepted by linebacker Sam Acho on the Miami 13, which led to Gould kicking a 27-yard field goal; later in the quarter, the Bears increased their lead with runningback Senorise Perry's 54-yard touchdown run, making the score 27–10. After the Dolphins turned the ball over on downs and the Bears punted, the game concluded with Miami's Josh Freeman being intercepted by defensive back Malcolm Bronson.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
Against the Colts, the Bears led early with Gould's 50-yard and 38-yard field goals, and both teams traded the lead with each of their next scores in the half: Indianapolis scored on Andrew Luck's 5-yard touchdown run and eventual two-point conversion pass to Andre Johnson, which Chicago responded with Gould's 25-yarder, though the Colts ended the half with the 11–9 lead via Adam Vinatieri's 25-yard kick. During the first half, the Bears had a first quarter 12-yard touchdown scramble by Cutler nullified by lineman Kyle Long's holding penalty.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
The game's lone two interceptions occurred during the second quarter on consecutive drives: Indianapolis quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's pass for Donte Moncrief was intercepted by Terrance Mitchell, and Clausen's pass for tight end Dante Rosario was underthrown, being intercepted by Sheldon Prince. The Bears reclaimed the lead on their first possession of the second half with Clausen's 12-yard touchdown pass to Bellamy, which was established after Jeremy Langford's 46-yard run. On the Colts' next driver, Hasselbeck was sacked by Acho, leading to  defensive tackle Eddie Goldman recovering the ensuing fumble. The margin was increased on the fifth play of the Bears' next drive, with Langford scoring on a two-yard run.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
Chicago's top four receivers, Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson and Kevin White, were not active for the game in Cincinnati. During the game, Perry, Clausen, cornerback Tracy Porter, wide receiver John Chiles and linebacker Jon Bostic also suffered injuries. Penalties were a concern for the Bears, who committed 12 for 117 yards; the offense also struggled on converting third downs, with only two of eleven successful.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
On defense, the Bears allowed the Bengals to score three unanswered touchdowns: in the first quarter with Andy Dalton's one-yard run, and in the second with A. J. McCarron's touchdown pass to Marvin Jones and Jeremy Hill's one-yard run. It would not be until the final six seconds of the half that the Bears scored, with Gould's 34-yard field goal. The first-team offense left the game during the third quarter, with all but one drive having ended in a punt, and on four of those drives, the unit failed to record a first down. Halfway through the final quarter, the Bears were able to make the score 21–10 after Ify Umodu blocked Kevin Huber's punt and returned it for an eight-yard touchdown.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
Chicago scored first in the second quarter of the preseason-ending game against Cleveland with David Fales' 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marc Mariani, after capitalizing on linebacker Lamarr Houston forcing Darius Jennings to fumble and Mitchell recovered. On the Browns' next drive, the Bears' linebacker Jonathan Anderson sacked Thad Lewis, leading to another fumble, this time recovered by defensive lineman Cornelius Washington; however, Gould missed a 43-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Fales was able to throw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Umodu after escaping Tank Carder's blitz.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Preseason, Game summaries
Later in the quarter, Sherrod Martin intercepted Lewis and scored on the ensuing 25-yard return. With 5:35 remaining in the game, Gould scored the final points of the game with a 28-yard field goal, as the Bears recorded the team's first preseason shutout since 1994. By the end of the game, the defense excelled, with seven sacks, three turnovers forced and limiting the Browns to 2.7 yards per play. The Bears concluded the preseason with a 3–1 record, while also not allowing a score in the second half across the four games; turnover-wise, the Bears forced ten, while allowing only one.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Regular season, Schedule
The regular season schedule was released on April 21. Aside from the standard six games against NFC North teams, the Bears also played the AFC West and NFC West teams, along with the two last-place finishing NFC East (Washington) and NFC South (Tampa Bay) teams. The Bears' opponents had a combined record of 136–120 (.531), making their schedule the 13th-strongest in the league.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Green Bay Packers
The Bears opened the season hosting rival Green Bay Packers, the 191st meeting in the two teams' history and the third season opener in which both teams played each other in Chicago; the Bears held a 93–91–6 all-time lead, and also led the series in season opener record with 17–12–2. However, the Packers had won nine of the last ten games between the two, including the last game, a 55–14 victory at Lambeau Field.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Green Bay Packers
WBBM-TV analyst Jeff Joniak believed the Bears would have to run to gain an advantage against the Packers; when Chicago played Green Bay in week four last season, the latter had the 30th-ranked run defense, and allowed 235 rushing yards in that game. Additionally, the offense had to avoid drives that required long yardage, as the Bears had scored 74 points outside of the red zone (the 29th-best in the league), while also protecting  quarterback Jay Cutler from linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews III.


2015 Chicago Bears season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Green Bay Packers
On defense, the new 3–4 defense faced a fast-paced Green Bay offense featuring quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tailback Eddie Lacy. The Rodgers-led Packers, who led the NFC North in touchdowns with 58, along with having the highest average yards per play (6.17) in the NFL in 2014, also provided a challenge for the Bears defensive backs; blitzing Rodgers was also a liability, as he had a league-best 130.4 rating with 15 touchdowns and one interception against the blitz.