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Miami city commissioners convene special meeting to address redistricting issue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

Miami city commissioners will gather Wednesday morning for a special meeting solely focused on the critical matter of redistricting in response to a recent federal court ruling. The meeting aims to address the ruling that declared several newly drawn districts in violation of the 14th Amendment due to their delineation along racial lines.The ruling was delivered by a federal judge in May and shed light on the unconstitutional nature of the districts’ design, underscoring the importance of adhering to fair and equitable representation. With the November 2023 election looming, the city is now faced with the urgent task of redrawing a new commission map.The special meeting will provide a platform for commissioners to discuss and strategize the course of action required for a successful redistricting effort. Public input and expert consultation will play pivotal roles in shaping the new commission map, as the goal remains to rectify the constitutional violations before the upcomin...

Broward County’s superintendent search entering final phase

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

The search for Broward County’s next superintendent is reaching its climax as three highly qualified candidates enter the final phase of the selection process.Dr. Sito Narcisse, currently serving as the superintendent for East Baton Rouge Parish, Dr. Peter Licata, the regional superintendent for Palm Beach County, and Mr. Luis Solano, the deputy superintendent for Detroit’s School District, have emerged as the leading contenders for the coveted position.Each finalist will undergo a rigorous individual interview lasting 60 minutes, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their qualifications, leadership skills, and vision for the future of Broward County’s education system.Following the initial interviews, the community will play a pivotal role in the selection process, as they will be granted the unique opportunity to individually interview each finalist for an extended period of 90 minutes. The Broward County School Board, in collaboration with community ...

Chechen boss Kadyrov begs for info on brother-in-law missing in Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s brother-in-law, who is commanding Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, has been reported missing in action.In a statement issued on Telegram, Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s Chechnya region, said that he has lost communication with his brother-in-law, Adam Delimkhanov, after Ukraine hit a series of Russian positions as Kyiv’s forces step up their counteroffensive in the south and east of the country. “I have no way of contacting Adam Delimkhanov. He has not been in touch,” Kadyrov wrote. “I ask Ukrainian intelligence to provide information on the exact locations and positions that have been struck so that I can find my dear brother-in-law.”Zvezda, a television channel operated by Russia’s defense ministry, previously reported Delimkhanov was wounded in Ukraine.Delimkhanov commands troops from the North Caucasus branch of Rosgvardia, Russia’s national guard, who have been heavily involved in the full-s...

Police investigating suspicious death of 18-year-old woman in Everett

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

An investigation got underway in Everett Tuesday after the body of an 18-year-old woman was found in an area near Springvale Avenue, officials said. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Everett Chief of Police Steven Mazzie in a joint statement said police were called to the scene around 2 p.m. after a Springvale Avenue resident said she found the 18-year-old “apparently deceased” behind her home. The woman, officials said, was pronounced dead at the scene. State police investigators were seen working in Everett throughout the afternoon Tuesday. The medical examiner was also seen arriving, at one point, and a body was taken away. While officials said there were no obvious injuries to the 18-year-old, they said her death is being investigated as suspicious “due to the circumstances around the location of the body.”Officials said the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death in this case, adding that an investigat...

Staff member hospitalized after being attacked by student at Henderson School in Dorchester

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

A staff member was taken to an area hospital Tuesday after being physically assaulted by a student at the Henderson K-12 Inclusion School in Dorchester, the school’s interim head of school said. Interim Head of School Stephanie Sibley said in a letter to school community members that the incident happened Tuesday morning. While multiple students saw the incident unfold, officials said no students were injured and school personnel were able to quickly de-escalate the situation. Sibley’s letter said the injured staff member was first seen by a school nurse before being taken to the hospital for further evaluation. “The student involved will face disciplinary action in accordance with the BPS Code of Conduct, additional disciplinary action from law enforcement is also possible,” Sibley said.“The Henderson and all Boston Public Schools are committed to fostering environments where all students and staff feel safe, welcome, and respected,” she contin...

Animal Rescue League of Boston rescues 6 dogs from ‘unsanitary’ Malden home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

Six pit-bull-type dogs that were recently removed from a home in Malden due to unsanitary conditions will soon be looking forever homes.The Animal Rescue League of Boston says when they removed the animals, several were thin and borderline emaciated, and one required surgery for pyometra (a uterine infection that if left untreated could be life-threatening).The majority of the dogs, they said, were showing signs of living in unsanitary conditions including pressure sores, poor dental hygiene, and skin issues.Anyone interested in adopting one of the dogs should visit the Animal Rescue League website.

US beefs up campaign to ensure accurate animal welfare claims on meat, poultry packaging

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it hopes to weed out false or misleading animal-welfare claims on meat and poultry packaging with new guidance and testing.The claims __ such as “pasture-raised,” “humanely raised,” and “raised without antibiotics” __ are increasingly popular with consumers and allow producers to charge a premium. Perdue “free range” chicken breasts with no antibiotics sell for $5.78 per pound at Walmart, for example; store brand chicken breasts without those claims sell for $2.79 per pound.Both meat producers and animal welfare advocates say the USDA isn’t adequately substantiating the claims or ensuring they meet consumer expectations. The USDA lets producers define some terms, including “humane,” which can lead to widely varying conditions for animals. Other claims like “free range” are clearly defined by the USDA, but some producers are skirting requirements.The USDA must approve all animal welfare claims on meat and poultry labels before product...

Grichuk’s 2-run double in 10th lifts Rockies over Red Sox 7-6

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Randal Grichuk lined a two-run double in a three-run 10th inning and Colorado held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday night, giving the Rockies their second straight win at Fenway Park.Jurickson Profar added a sacrifice fly in the 10th and as the Rockies improved to 13-21 on the road. They had lost eight of 10 away games before arriving in Boston.“It was a good team win. A lot of guys in a lot of different spots helped out,” Colorado manager Bud Black said.With an automatic runner on second, Justin Garza (0-1) walked Nolan Jones starting the 10th and Grichuk lined the first pitch he saw down the left-field line and Profar boosted the lead to 7-4.“It was good to see Randal get the big hit there,” Black said. “I know he’s been frustrated a couple different times over the last couple of weeks with some opportunities. He’s too good of a player not to contribute and get some big hits for us. And I still think there’s more to come.”Rafael Devers led off the bottom ...

Sun to Storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

We wake up to more low clouds and locally dense fog this morning as temps hover near 60 degrees to kick off the day. The fog and clouds do clear quicker than yesterday and temps will shoot up to near 80 by early this afternoon as sunshine breaks out from mid morning to mid afternoon. So it’ll be a warm day overall, albeit, a bit cooler at the coast, 70-75 there. While a large portion of the day turns out to be dry, we will have to keep an eye to the sky. Late afternoon and early evening thunderstorms break out and push west to east across New England. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could be locally severe with quarter size hail and strong wind gusts to 60mph. Certainly something to monitor later today. Obviously, cloud to ground lightning will be a risk to those outdoor activities and localized downpours will lead to slow down on the roads and ponding in poor drainage areas. The timing of the storms favor 4-6pm in central Mass and 6-9pm across ea...

Chicago Bears: Breaking down the team’s growing number of options in stadium search

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:22 GMT

Since the Chicago Bears hit a financial roadblock in their proposed move to Arlington Heights, other municipalities have been vying in a sort of roulette to attract — or in Chicago’s case, keep — the team.Naperville, Rockford, Chicago and, most recently, Waukegan have placed themselves in the running to land the white whale of the NFL — though some officials concede the team may be using them for leverage in negotiations with Arlington Heights.The franchise, a founding member of the league, valued at $5.8 billion by Forbes, is looking for a new home. Team officials hadn’t been planning an immediate move from Chicago’s Soldier Field until Arlington International Racecourse went for sale in 2021. They jumped at the chance and closed the deal to buy the property for $197 million this year.But Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi raised the valuation of the 326-acre property to nearly the sale price, which would have quadrupled the taxes to about $16 mill...