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Florida school district orders removal of all books with gay characters before slightly backing off

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Top officials at a Florida school district ordered the removal of all books and material containing LBGTQ+ characters and themes from classrooms and campus libraries, saying that was needed to conform to a state law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”Charlotte County Schools Superintendent Mark Vianello and the school board’s attorney, Michael McKinley, were responding to questions from the district’s librarians at a July meeting asking whether the bill, officially the “Florida Parental Rights in Education Act,” required the removal of any books that simply had a gay character but no explicit sex scenes.“Books with LBGTQ+ characters are not to be included in classroom libraries or school library media centers,” the pair responded, according to a district memo obtained under a public information request by the Florida Freedom to Read Project. The nonprofit group, which opposes the law, provided the memo t...

Woman rescued from ravine in Blackstone

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

A woman is recovering after she was pulled to safety from a ravine in Blackstone Wednesday, family members and local officials said.Firefighters shared video of the rescue at the Blackstone Gorge. Later speaking with 7NEWS, the woman’s husband said she had been hiking along the gorge with her two dogs when one dog slipped and fell into the gorge. The woman’s husband said she went in after her pet. Ultimately, both the woman and her dog needed to be rescued.“She looked up and pretty much there was a no win situation of her getting herself out of there,” the woman’s husband said.The husband, who did not want to be identified, said his wife had a cell phone and called her mother who called 911.Video showed part of the ensuing rescue as crews worked to haul the woman up a steep slope, tying ropes to trees before carrying the woman to safety in a basket. The woman suffered a leg injury in this incident and was being checked out at a hospital as of Wednesday afternoon, acco...

Salem, NH police search for armed robbery suspect who held up business off of Route 28

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

Police in Salem, New Hampshire, are searching for a suspect who allegedly held up a business before fleeing towards the state line.The Salem Police Department said its officers were called to a business at 522 South Broadway/Route 28 around noon on Wednesday after receiving a 911 call about an armed robbery.According to police, the caller reported that a business, a LoanMax, had been robbed at gunpoint and that employees had been tied up by the suspect.The department said the suspect, described as a white male in his 50s or 60s, was then seen walking southbound on Route 28 towards Methuen, Mass.“Responding patrol units immediately began a search for the suspect and cleared the business, ensuring the employees were unharmed,” Salem PD said on its Facebook page. “A K-9 was deployed and tracked towards the rail trail and Methuen.”Authorities described the suspect as having a height of 6’2″ and wearing a Covid mask with glasses, a Bruins cap, blue swe...

Brookline police make arrests in July home invasion case that involved masked suspects as search for third person continues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

Police in Brookline say two men were arrested in connection with a home invasion that left a resident wounded and officers searching for “multiple masked suspects.”In a statement to 7NEWS, the police department said two people had been arrested and were facing multiple charges for a home invasion that happened on Warren Street back on July 18.At the time, authorities said multiple masked suspects were able to force their way through the balcony of a home’s second floor while the residents, two brothers, were sleeping inside.One of the brothers, a 61 year old, was assaulted and left with a laceration wound to the head. Police indicated there was also evidence a gun had been fired at one point.As an investigation got underway, Brookline PD released images of two masked individuals, including video of a suspect approaching a camera and attempting to cover it.Two months later, Brookline police said two individuals were arrested early Wednesday morning and arraigned shortly a...

Massachusetts man indicted on charges of trying to open jet’s door, attacking crew on United flight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man was indicted Wednesday for allegedly attacking a flight attendant earlier this year with a broken metal spoon and attempting to open an airliner’s emergency door on a cross-country flight, federal prosecutors said.Francisco Severo Torres, of Leominster, was indicted on one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon in the March 5 incident on United Airlines Flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston.In his last court appearance in July, a federal judge ruled that Torres was not competent to stand trial. Magistrate Judge Judith Dein, basing her decision on a mental health evaluation of Torres and her own observations in court, determined that further treatment is warranted.Federal public defender Joshua Hanye, who represented Torres in that court appearance, could not be reached for comment.According to prosecutor and witness accounts, Torres went on a midair rant and tried ...

Two French bulldogs missing for seven months tearfully reunited with family

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

After seven long months, two French bulldogs have been reunited with their family in Lawrence.“I’m excited,” dog owner Ashely Martinez said. “Those are my babies.”Martinez said her six children, including two sets of twins, are thrilled.“I can’t get my dogs back,” she said. “They keep stealing them and hiding them in their rooms.”The pure-bred Frenchies, a light colored female named potato and a male named Malik, got away from their home in February. Ashley said her kids convinced her the dogs would be found someday.   “We kept saying, we’ll find them, we’ll find them,” Martinez said.The dogs were found by a woman driving along Lawrence Road in Salem, New Hampshire last week. A Facebook post helped the animal control officer locate the owner, and the happy reunion came a few days later.“Everyone was crying,” “it was absolutely what I got into this to do. You have the bad days, you have the animal abuse and neglect and then you have days when you get to bring a dog bac...

Cool to mild tomorrow, rain chance returns Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

It’s been a pleasant fall day with more sun, less wind and temperatures in the 60s. Tomorrow’s weather is more of the same. Changes come Friday into Saturday. Sunday will be a winner of a day and nice fall feel to kick off October.We’ll get some low clouds overnight and be off to another cool start in the 40s inland and in the 50s on the coast. Through the day, we’ll see sun mixed with high clouds. Temperatures will be similar to today, fairly seasonable inland in the upper 60s and an onshore breeze will keep temperatures in the low/mid 60s on the coast.We’ll gain more clouds Friday and temperatures stay cooler in the low 60s. That’s when our chance for rain starts to go up mainly south into Saturday.Here’s the setup. High pressure will be around the Bay of Fundy. To our south, an area of low pressure will develop and that will bring us the chance for rain Friday and into Saturday. The best chance for wet weather will be to the south. Here&#...

Josh Barfield brings experience from the field and front office to his role as Chicago White Sox assistant GM

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

Josh Barfield had a decision to make.He could remain with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team he helped build into a playoff contender. Or he could accept a new challenge with the Chicago White Sox.A sign came in the form of the car in front of him while sitting at a light with his wife and daughter. They saw a license plate with “SOX 29.” Barfield and his father, Jesse, wore No. 29 in the majors.“We were like, ‘This was meant to be,’ ” Barfield said.The Sox on Friday announced Barfield’s addition as assistant general manager.“It came out of nowhere,” Barfield said before Wednesday’s game against the Diamondbacks at Guaranteed Rate Field. “I’ve been in Arizona for the last nine years. I was really happy there. We were doing a lot of good things. We were so engulfed in trying to make the playoffs that when I received the phone call the White Sox asked for permission, I don’t think it was something...

DeMar DeRozan says he wants to ‘end my career’ as a Chicago Bull. But would a 4-year extension be the right move for the team?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

Less than a week before the Bulls gather in Nashville, Tenn., for training camp, DeMar DeRozan reiterated his commitment to remain in Chicago — potentially for the rest of his career.In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina this week, DeRozan said he hopes to retire as a Bull.“That’s a place I want to be and end my career,” DeRozan said. “I want to be able to accomplish everything I’ve set out to accomplish. That’s all I can worry about and control. I have the utmost confidence in myself.“I’ll let my agent and the organization deal with that side of things, to be honest, man. From their standpoint, they want me to be there long term and vice versa. We’ll see what happens from there.”This season marks a critical turning point for the Bulls and DeRozan, who is in the third and final year of his initial $82 million contract. Once that contract expires, DeRozan will be eligible for a four-year exte...

Patriots-Cowboys injury report: Mac Jones gets more help than Dak Prescott on Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:47:04 GMT

Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux wasn’t healthy enough to finish last weekend’s win over the Jets, but he did practice Wednesday in a limited capacity.Godchaux hurt his ankle in the second quarter last Sunday and missed the second half. His participation in Wednesday’s padded practice indicates he could recover in time for the Pats’ upcoming game at Dallas.Godchaux was one of five Patriots listed on the team’s first injury report of the week, which did not include right guard Mike Onwenu, indicating he’s fully recovered from offseason ankle surgery. The Patriots had only one starting offensive lineman, left guard Cole Strange, listed on their report Wednesday.Meanwhile in Dallas, the Cowboys had three offensive line starters miss practice.Both teams’ complete injury reports are below.PATRIOTSLimited participationDL Christian Barmore (knee)DL Davon Godchaux (ankle)CB Jonathan Jones (ankle)OL Sidy Sow (concussion)OL Cole Strange (knee)...