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Limestone City Blues Fest celebrates success of new additions this year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

This year’s Limestone City Blues Festival concluded its 26th instalment last week, with 60 concerts taking place over the four-day event.The festival this year saw changes in response to a dip in attendance post-COVID, caused both by the pandemic and the specific demographic for the blues genre. The additions by the Downtown Kingston Business Improvement Area included the addition of a licensed area, an artisan market with over 40 local vendors each day, and a more musically diverse selection of artists.The Downtown Kingston Business Improvement Area (BIA) set out on a mission this year to attract new audiences after experiencing a decrease in attendance post-pandemic. One of the goals of the BIA this year was to attract a younger demographic, a goal which was achieved through the inclusion of local artists like Nice n, the Kodas, and Oak Ridge Avenue, all bands with an active, younger following, on their free stage.“So what we decided to do this year was to invite some younger and ...

Judge dismisses motion to acquit former Hialeah Police officer found guilty of kidnapping homeless man

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

A judge has denied a motion to acquit a former Hialeah Police officer convicted of kidnapping a homeless man. Former Hialeah Police Officer Rafael Otano lowered his head and placed his hands in prayer on Wednesday as the judge denied a renewed motion for judgment of acquittal, a new trial and a stay of sentence pending appeal.Otano was then seen holding the arm of his defense attorney, Michael Pizzi.“Obviously, he is disappointed, but without revealing any of the comments, he has faith in God, and he is confident, at the end of the day, he will be set free,” Pizzi said.Last month, a jury found Otano guilty of armed kidnapping but not guilty on a charge of battery.He was accused of kidnapping and beating Jose Ortega Gutierrez, a homeless man, along with former Officer Lorenzo Orfila, on Dec. 17, 2022.The two drove Gutierrez miles away from a strip mall where he was first apprehended and took him to a remote area where, Gutierrez claimed, they beat him and left him injured...

Crews put out house fire in Plantation; pets killed, no injuries reported

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

Sirens blared through a Plantation neighborhood as a home went up in flames, claiming the lives of two pets. Plantation Fire Rescue units arrived at the scene of the fire at 1540 SW 68th Ave., Wednesday morning. 7Skyforce hovered above the scene as the fire burned through the roof.Flames that sparked in the home’s garage, which appeared to be caused by a golf cart that was plugged in, quickly spread to the rest of the house.Fire crews were able to knock down the fire, which saved the rest of the structure and surrounding homes. “There was tremendous amount of fire in the garage, is where most of the fire was when we got here,” said Plantation Fire Rescue Lt. Aston Bright.No one was home when the fire broke out, and there were no injuries reported, but the family’s dog and their pet goldfish died in the fire. “I was here, but I didn’t know what was going on,” said Cherly Taylor, who lives across the street.Taylor said she rushed outside briefly w...

Leominster flood cleanup continues as more rain hits region

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

More rain fell on Leominster Wednesday as cleanup efforts continued following severe flash flooding in the area earlier this week. The rain sent water cascading down already washed out roadways and triggered a flood watch for much of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as parts of southern New Hampshire. While storm drains appeared to be handling this latest round of rain Wednesday afternoon, officials said the recovery from more severe flooding on Monday may still take months. “Still in awe that it happened but Mother Nature wins every time,” one man told 7NEWS. Floodwaters rose fast in Leominster on Monday, ultimately washing out roads and damaging homes, businesses and city facilities. First responders from numerous state and local agencies rescued residents from flooded homes. As the sun then rose on Tuesday morning, several roads remained closed in Leominster due to sinkholes and other damage.Near Hamilton Street, railroad tracks still h...

Two arraigned in connection with assault outside Dedham courthouse after plea deal reached in teen’s 2021 drowning death

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

Two people were arraigned in Dedham Court Wednesday in connection with an assault outside the courthouse on Monday, which prosecutors said was related to a plea deal reached in the case of a teenager’s 2021 drowning death at a house party.A trial was expected to get underway regarding the death of 17-year-old Alonzo Polk, but plans changed after a plea deal was reached involving retired Massachusetts State Police Captain James Coughlin and his wife, Leslie, who hosted the party with alcohol. Denzell Rowell and Roshawn Drane, who investigators said are Polk’s brothers, were arraigned on charges Wednesday connected to assaulting Coughlin and a friend outside the courthouse around 10:38 a.m. on Monday.“After that initial strike to his face, he went down to the ground and tried to cover his head and face area,” the prosecutor said. An ambulance was called to the fight scene outside the courthouse, but the parties declined treatment.The plea deal was announced on Monday morning with...

Massive Hurricane Lee a growing threat to New England, Canada

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

(CNN) — Hurricane Lee’s threat to portions of New England and Atlantic Canada is growing, with a track closer to the coast becoming more likely and a massive wind field which could reach these areas regardless of where the storm finally tracks later this week and this weekend.The massive storm, which was a Category 2 hurricane as of Wednesday afternoon, continued to churn northwest in the open Atlantic and was about 420 miles south-southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Bermuda ahead of Lee’s brush with the island Thursday. After bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous seas to Bermuda, Lee will set its sights on portions of the US and Canada.Lee’s winds could arrive as early as Friday evening for portions of New England.Lee will weaken, but the storm’s impacts beyond its center will be significant because of its colossal size, which has grown considerably since the weekend. Hurricane...

Bruins youngsters on the hunt for open roster spots

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

The Bruins hopefuls will be making their annual shuffle up to Buffalo for the Prospects Challenge on Thursday, and they will be doing so with a little more pep in their collective step than in previous seasons.There are jobs to be had in Boston. Technically, that has always been the case, and last season Jakub Lauko did surprisingly crack the lineup when no one expected him to do so. But we haven’t seen this kind of exodus from the B’s roster – including three of their four centers from last year’s 65-win team – in a long time.“Obviously, guys see some of the holes and some of the messages to the guys is that you’ve got to do what other guys aren’t willing to do,” said Providence coach Ryan Mougenel on Wednesday. “You come to a certain spot where everyone’s capable, and then it’s just the willingness. That’s one thing we saw in Providence. Guys put their toes in early on and then they really dove in by the end of the year. We had a lot...

Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney won’t seek reelection in 2024, marking end to decadeslong political career

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

By MICHELLE L. PRICE (Associated Press)Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he will not run for reelection, opting to exit the political stage after a two-decade career in public service that included the 2012 Republican GOP nomination for president and a term as Massachusetts governor.The 76-year-old made the announcement in a video statement in which he noted that he would be in his mid-80s at the end of another six-year Senate term and said the country is ready for younger politicians.“Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders,” he said. “They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.As the GOP’s 2016 nominee for the White House, Romney campaigned across America as a buttoned-up former Massachusetts governor and private equity executive. But with Donald Trump’s populist rise as the party’s dominant figure, Romney’s brand of Republicanism shifted from ...

NBA adopts a new load management policy. Here’s what it means for 3 Chicago Bulls stars this season.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

The era of load management is coming to a close — or at least that’s the goal of a new NBA policy for the 2023-24 season.The NBA Board of Governors voted Wednesday to approve a new player participation policy that will fine teams for resting multiple stars in any game. The policy will require teams to make stars available for nationally televised and in-season tournament games, balance players’ absences between home and away games and avoid “shutdown” periods that sideline otherwise healthy players during stretches.Star players will also be required to be visible and available to fans during their rest games, a holdover from the previous player participation policy set in 2017.The league will investigate teams for violations of these new policies, with $100,000 fines for first-time offenses, $250,000 for the second and $1.25 million for the third. Fines will continue to increase at a rate of $1 million for any subsequent violations.Since this is a leagu...

Autoworkers strike would test Biden’s claim that he’s the most pro-union president in US history

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:34:52 GMT

By WILL WEISSERT and JOEY CAPPELLETTI (Associated Press)LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The prospect of an autoworkers strike could test Joe Biden’s treasured assertion that he’s the most pro-union president in U.S. history. The United Auto Workers is threatening to strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, if tentative contact agreements aren’t reached by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. That could reshape the political landscape in the battleground state of Michigan and potentially unleash economic shockwaves nationwide. The auto industry accounts for about 3% of the nation’s gross domestic product and though union leaders say they are mulling strikes at a small number of factories run by those automakers, as many as 146,000 workers could eventually walk off their jobs. The effects would be most immediate in Michigan and other auto job-heavy states such as Ohio and Indiana. But a prolonged strike could trigger car shortages and layoffs in auto-supply industrie...