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Christmas events in Broward, Miami-Dade aim to spread holiday cheer to children in need

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

Children across South Florida are getting the chance to check off some items from their Christmas wish list. The Pantry of Broward County usually hands out food throughout the year, but on Friday, it was toys.Over 60 grandparents who are raising their grand kids will receive a big bag of toys, giving those kids a Christmas they’ll never forget. “To be a grandmother of four, I sure appreciate it a lot,” said Ivon. In Miami-Dade, children took part in the Miami Heat’s toy giveaway. They got to pick out some pretty cool stuff and even get some love from the Heat’s mascot, Burnie. The event started 16 years ago with a dad who loved the Heat and kids. ‘It’s tremendously important we carry on the traditions that our dad started,” said Amy Share Brennan, the daughter of the founder of the giveaway. “It was always important to him to give back to the community and that every child has a present for the holidays.” Over in Midtown, k...

Hialeah teen accused in mother’s fatal stabbing to remain at juvenile wing of adult facility, judge says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

A judge has reached a decision as to whether or not a 13-year-old boy accused of killing his own mother in their Hialeah apartment will move back to a juvenile-only facility.Late Friday afternoon, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Richard Hersch decided Derek Rosa will remain in the juvenile wing within Metro West Detention Center, an adult facility.The judge’s decision comes after testimony from instructors who are teaching Rosa different school subjects. Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue that the teen is receiving the appropriate care that is required by law. “So in addition to the mental health counselors, the doctors, the inmates and the teachers, you are just an additional person who checks on the juvenile inmates to make sure everything is going as smoothly as it can while they are in custody?’ said the prosecutor to a witness.“Yes,” the witness replied. The judge kept questioning some of the witnesses for the defense and the relevance of the information as it...

Family of 9-year-old girl sues BPS, transportation company amid allegations she was sexually assaulted on bus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the family of a 9-year-old girl against Boston Public Schools and Transdev Services, alleging that both failed to protect the girl from being repeatedly sexually assaulted by another student while riding the bus home from school from Match Charter Public School in Hyde Park.In a statement, Morgan & Morgan alleged that over the course of seven months during the 2022-2023 school year, the plaintiff was repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped on the bus by an 11-year-old classmate and “not only suffered great physical and mental harm, but she was forced to leave school just a few months shy of finishing fourth grade for fear of the physical or social repercussions, impacting her academic and social development.” The complaint alleges when the school became aware of the sexual assault, an investigation uncovered that despite Transdev requiring this specific bus to have mandatory video equipment onboard, no video was found for any of ...

Battenfeld: Hunter Biden’s questionable new strategy is blame Trump and MAGA Republicans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

MAGA Republicans didn’t procure strippers for Hunter Biden. They didn’t force him to evade his taxes. Or earn millions from sketchy foreign companies.But that isn’t stopping the younger Biden from blaming Donald Trump and the GOP for his legal peril.Good luck.Let’s hope Hunter’s not getting the same legal advice the three college presidents got testifying before Republicans in Congress about antisemitism on their campuses.They walked into the hearing thinking they could easily outsmart 39-year-old New York Rep. Elise Stefanik. But instead they were trapped by their own words and inexplicable refusal to denounce hate speech and violence against Jewish students.Hunter Biden is now the latest Democrat to take on MAGA Republicans heading the president’s impeachment proceedings.“I’m here, I’m ready,” the arrogant Hunter said outside the Capitol, daring Republicans to grill him in public. “MAGA Republicans ridiculed my struggle with addiction. They belittled my recovery and they hav...

Waltham police officer Paul Tracey laid to rest: ‘This is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

The entire city of Waltham and police from all over lined Trapelo Road to say their last goodbyes to Officer Paul Tracey, who’s life was cut short while doing his job.An American flag flew high above as bagpipers led a procession of heartbroken colleagues and family members to the same church where Tracey got married.“As a family, this is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do,” Jim Tracey told thousands who gathered for his brother’s funeral at Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church on Friday. “Where do we begin? How do you capture in words in just a few minutes the life of a man who meant so much to so many?”Paul Tracey, a 28-year member of the Waltham Police Department, died at age 58, “doing what he loved most, protecting and serving the citizens of Waltham,” his brother Jim said.Tracey’s life came to an abrupt end the afternoon of Dec. 6 when a man allegedly drove through a Waltham construction site, striking and killing him and National Grid utility worker Roderick J...

Another strong storm to hit Massachusetts with heavy rain, strong winds, flooding: ‘Plan ahead if traveling’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

Well at least the first two strong storms of December aren’t snowy.For the second straight week, a spring-like storm will pound the Bay State with heavy rain, strong winds and flooding.Local meteorologists are warning residents that the storm will snarl the Monday morning commute, telling people to “plan ahead if traveling.”The strong storm moving up the coast is expected to bring heavy rainfall, mild temps and strong coastal winds from Sunday night into Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Some river and coastal flooding will be possible.“It looks like light precipitation will be moving in later Sunday for the Boston-area, and then the rain chances increase Sunday night through much of Monday,” Bill Leatham, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald.“Rainfall could potentially be heavy when folks are commuting Monday morning,” he added. “People should plan ahead if traveling, an...

Matthew Perry died from the effects of ketamine, autopsy report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

By ANDREW DALTON (AP Entertainment Writer)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his Oct. 28 death, deemed an accident.People close to Perry told investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, an experimental treatment used to treat depression and anxiety. But the medical examiner said the levels of ketamine in Perry’s body were in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, and that his last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn’t explain those levels. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours.The report says coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disord...

Minnesota edges close to picking new state flag to replace design offensive to Native Americans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state commission selected a basic design concept Friday for a new state flag for Minnesota to replace a current banner that is considered offensive to Native Americans, but will need more time to add the finishing touches.The final choice came down to two templates. The panel went with one bearing a stylized dark blue shape of Minnesota on the left with an eight-pointed white North Star on it, then either horizontal stripes or a solid field on the right. The commission then decided to consider variants on that theme when it reconvenes Tuesday, including an asymmetrical Minnesota that looks more like the state’s actual shape, and either a solid light blue field on the right, or adding a green stripe along the bottom to symbolize the state’s agricultural heritage.“Let’s marinate these for a couple of days. I think it’s important,” said the chair of the commission, Luis Fitch. “And then let’s hear what the public and the pe...

Assault charge over car-swerving incident at Gaza protest near B.C. legislature

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

VICTORIA — A man who allegedly accelerated his car toward a pro-Palestinian protester near the British Columbia legislature earlier this month has been charged with assault and dangerous driving.Victoria Police say the man is facing one count of assault with a weapon and one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in charges sworn on Thursday.Police say the man, who was arrested on Dec. 3 moments after the 2 p.m. incident, remains in custody.The incident was caught on a video that was circulated on social media, showing a car narrowly missing a protester on the sidewalk.The driver is then seen arguing with another protester before police intervene to separate them.British Columbia’s human rights commissioner said in November that the Israel-Hamas war has triggered a rise in violent and discriminatory incidents toward both Jewish and Muslim people in the province.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2023.The Canadian Press

A review defends police action before the Maine mass shooting. Legal experts say questions persist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:40 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — An independent report conducted for a police agency clears the agency’s response to growing concerns about the mental health of a man who later went on to commit the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history, but it does reveal missed opportunities to intervene to prevent the tragedy, legal experts said Friday.Despite receiving warnings about the man’s deteriorating mental health, drunken threats and possession of guns, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office avoided confronting Robert Card, the 40-year-old Army reservist who later killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar on Oct. 25 in Lewiston, the experts said of the report released late Thursday by Sheriff Joel Merry.Card’s body was found — with a self-inflicted gunshot wound — two days after the shootings. Reports soon began to emerge that he had spent two weeks in a psychiatric hospital months before the attacks and had amassed weapons.The legal experts told The Associated Press that the rep...