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Coast Guard searching for missing diver off Vandenburg Wreck near Key West

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

The United States Coast Guard has launched an intensive search operation in collaboration with its partners for a diver who went missing on Wednesday.According to officials, 44-year-old Thomas Faulkenberry was last seen diving near the Vandenburg Wreck, wearing black dive gear along with black fins. As concern for his safety grows, air and surface crews from the USCG have been scouring the area in a race against time to locate the missing individual.The Vandenberg Wreck, a popular diving site located off the coast of Key West, has become the focus of the search efforts as authorities aim to retrace Faulkenberry’s steps and determine his whereabouts.As of now, no further details regarding the circumstances surrounding Faulkenberry’s dive have been released.The USCG urged anyone with information about Faulkenberry’s disappearance to come forward. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sector Key West at 305-282-8727.

Hopedale Police Department say Facebook page targeted in hack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

A post popped up on the official Hopedale Police Department Facebook page that had people doing a double take. The online message glorified the shooting of a transgender person. “We’re here to help people and that post was not helpful,” Hopedale Police Chief Mark Giovanella said. “To read it and the language that was used in it, it was offensive to us and I’m sure it was offensive to the people that we are serving.”The chief said the site was hacked just before midnight on Tuesday. “We immediately tried to have the post removed, and then we realized we were locked out of our account because it was hacked and taken over by another identity,” he said.Spanning into the afternoon on Wednesday, the post stayed live, referring to a transgender woman as a “direct threat” and claiming to have fired “47 shots” at her. The post also deemed their actions “justified.”14 hours after the message was posted, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and a local representative got the pos...

Quincy’s Yawkey Housing Resource Center to provide 24/7 assistance to the homeless

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

Father Bill’s Place has operated as an emergency shelter in Quincy for more than 40 years, providing the homeless a place to stay overnight, but local officials say the reactive approach is not enough as needs across the region grow.The Yawkey Housing Resource Center, slated to open in October across the street from the existing facility, will go a long way in better serving the community, as it will offer daytime services and on-site permanent supportive housing, along with an emergency shelter, officials say.Father Bill’s & MainSpring, which oversees Father Bill’s Place in Quincy and MainSpring House in Brockton, has seen an increase in homelessness since the pandemic and as inflation continues to take a toll, said John Yazwinski, the agency’s president and CEO.“This is going to be innovative where we are really going to try to end homelessness one life at a time every day,” Yazwinski said of Yawkey Housing Resource Center. “The pandemic showed us we shouldn’t be putting peopl...

Source: Patriots open roster spot by waiving rookie wide receiver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

The Patriots waived rookie wide receiver Ed Lee on Wednesday, a source confirmed to the Herald.Lee, an undrafted wide receiver out of the University of Rhode Island, was present for practice Wednesday but departed for a side field where injured players typically work on conditioning. Lee had some impressive moments in training camp but was a longshot for the roster with JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton and fellow rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte ahead of him on the depth chart.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots’ offense returning favor by challenging defense in training camp New England Patriots | Patriots rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte finally breaks out after ‘slow start’ New England Patriots | Patriots continuing to manage Rhamondre Stevenson’s workload in practice New England Patriots | Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: Playing for Bill O&...

As 40th anniversary of World Series win nears, 1983 Orioles team recalls effort to ‘just keep chugging’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

They’ll trot onto the field at Oriole Park on Saturday night, grayer and rounder and slower afoot than when they played. The crowd won’t care. To their fans, the aging 1983 Orioles are a team for the ages, one that 40 years ago took the town on a glory ride to its third (and most recent) world championship. That goal also beckons this year’s club, none of whose players were alive when their forebears won it all.The Orioles of yore won 98 games, then dispatched the Chicago White Sox for the American League pennant. They lost the World Series opener to the Philadelphia Phillies, then took four straight before returning to Baltimore — by bus, no less — to be met by a joyous throng of 30,000 at Memorial Stadium.“On the way back, every few minutes, [second baseman] Richie Dauer would stand up and scream, ‘Sixty thousand bucks!’ which was each player’s share,” said Scott McGregor, who pitched a 5-0 shutout in the Series finale. &...

The US government’s debt has been downgraded. Here’s what to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER (AP Economics Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — Late Tuesday, Fitch Ratings became the second of the three major credit-rating firms to remove its coveted triple-A assessment of the United States government’s credit worthiness, a move that spurred debate in Washington about spending and tax policies. Fitch cited the federal government’s rising debt burden and the political difficulties that the U.S. government has had in addressing spending and tax policies as the principal reasons for reducing its rating from AAA to AA+. Fitch said its decision “reflects the expected fiscal deterioration over the next three years, a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance” compared with other countries with similar debt ratings. The downgrade may have little impact on financial markets long-term or on the interest rates the U.S. government will pay. Here’s what you need to know:HOW DID THE GOVERNMENT GET TO THI...

Elite Field Hockey Camp offers fun atmosphere, solid instruction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

WALTHAM — Playing in a semifinal matchup on the final day of the Elite Field Hockey Camp at Bentley University on Wednesday, the goal that Foxboro star senior Mary Collins scored, nor the team’s eventual shootout win to advance to the championship, will not count toward the Warriors’ bid for a state title this upcoming season.But if Foxboro’s reactions for both feats are any indicator, which includes a raucous chant of their “Zimbabwe” team name following the shootout, their experiences throughout the three-day session were extremely beneficial.The same can be said about all 275 student-athletes who wrapped up the final of three sessions that the 34-year-old camp ran this year, which once again put fun at a premium within a competitive and educational environment.“It’s the best spirit we’ve had so far, it’ll be hard to pick the spirit award,” said director Meg Bozek. “The kids have been super engaged. … Overall I think the experience has been great and the athletes have been awesome...

Revolution assistant coach Richie Williams takes over for Bruce Arena on interim basis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

New England Revolution assistant coach Richie Williams was placed in an awkward position he never bargained for but is confident in his ability to oversee the task at hand.Williams, 51, will be the club’s field manager of record when the Revolution host LIGA MX entrant Atlas FC in the Leagues Cup tournament round of 32 match on Thursday night (8) at Gillette Stadium.Williams, who is in his fifth season as an assistant, became the interim head coach on Tuesday when the Revolution placed Bruce Arena on indefinite administrative. The action was in response to an ongoing investigation conducted by Major League Soccer regarding allegations that Arena made “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.”“We are all professionals and we do this for a living, players and coaches and everybody in the building,” said Williams. “We just want to approach this like we approach it every day and being good pros.“We have been doing a lot of the same things we’ve always done and had success with over the ye...

Poorly designed crossing contributed to fatal 2022 Missouri Amtrak derailment, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

A dump truck driver last year may have never seen an oncoming Amtrak train before it was too late, federal investigators concluded in a report, finding that a steep, poorly designed railroad crossing in rural Missouri contributed to last year’s fatal Amtrak derailment that killed four people and injured 146 others.The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that the 45-degree angle where the road crossed the tracks made it hard for the dump truck driver to see the approaching train, and the steep approach discouraged the truck driver from stopping beforehand.“The safest rail grade crossing is no rail grade crossing. But at the very least, every road-rail intersection should have an adequate design to ensure proper visibility so drivers can see oncoming trains,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. “Communities across the country deserve safer crossings so these types of accidents don’t happen again.” The NTSB said the dump truck driver ignored a stop sign before continuing ...

Fargo shooter was interviewed by police about guns, propane tanks in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:37 GMT

The gunman who last month killed a Fargo police officer and wounded two others and a civilian admitted to owning nearly a dozen guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in a 2022 police interview following a kitchen fire at his home.Firefighters notified police after seeing guns, ammunition and propane tanks in Mohamad Barakat’s apartment, according to a report provided to The Associated Press Wednesday by the City of Fargo Fire Department.Battalion Chief Jason Ness noted what appeared to be “a significant amount of gun ammunition,” “multiple ‘assault style’ rifles,” a 20-pound propane cylinder in a bedroom, a second smaller propane cylinder in the kitchen, and “a funnel, blender, and other items that looked to be for measuring purposes” in his report on the Sept. 6, 2022 fire. “FPD determined everything was legal with the gun collection,” Ness wrote. “The individual admitted to owning approximately 10 guns and 6,000 rounds of ammunition. My decision to refer the...