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Death toll from Maui wildfires rises to 67 as survivors begin returning home to assess damage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll in Maui rose to 67 on Friday as officials confirmed another 12 fatalities from a massive blaze that turned large swaths of a centuries-old town into a hellscape of ashen rubble.Maui County officials said in an online statement that firefighters continued to battle the blaze, which was not yet fully contained. Meanwhile, residents of Lahaina were being allowed to return home for the first time to assess the damage.Associated Press journalists witnessed the devastation, with nearly every building flattened to debris on Front Street, the heart of the Maui community and the economic hub of the island. The roosters known to roam Hawaii streets meandered through the ashes of what was left, including an eerie traffic jam of the charred remains of dozens of cars that didn’t make it out of the inferno.Incinerated cars crushed by downed telephone poles. Charred elevator shafts standing as testaments to the burned-down apartment buildings they once served....

Denver Broncos to kick off preseason against Arizona Cardinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver Broncos are opening up their 2023 preseason with a game in Arizona against the Cardinals Friday night.While it's still early and several of the team's starters aren't expected to suit up as decisions are made lower down the roster, fans are looking forward to seeing new head coach Sean Payton calling the shots. Russell Wilson and wife Ciara announce baby on the way The former Super Bowl-winning head coach of the New Orleans Saints was hired during the off-season. His background and fresh approach have stirred up optimism for the Broncos. Last season, first-time head coach Nathanial Hackett was maligned and mocked by fans for his errors, including notable issues managing the play clock.Payton made comments earlier this summer criticizing Hackett and his coaching staff for how they led the team last season. He later walked the comments back and apologized, saying he wants the focus to be on the future.If the Broncos want to make the playoffs, which Payton...

‘Please return my child’: Dania Beach man beaten while walking dog wants pet back after animal was adopted while he was hospitalized

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

A Broward County man who ended up in the hospital after he was beaten while out walking his dog said he wants his pet back after the animal was taken to a shelter and adopted, leaving his owner with emotional pain on top of his physical injuries.Dania Beach resident Timothy Sweat found out that when you are injured and your pet is taken to Broward County Animal Care, there’s no guarantee the animal will still be there once you recover.Speaking with 7News on Friday, Sweat said he adopted Bear just as the pandemic started.“He is a very sweet little boy. He is a Yorkie-poo, spoiled,” he said. “He’s 3 years old, and we have never been apart.”Sweat said he and Bear saved each other.“My career was falling apart because of COVID, and I needed the emotional support,” he said, “It was the only thing keeping me mentally balanced.”But that changed on July 19, when Sweat took Bear for an evening walk near Federal Highway and Northeast ...

Miami-Dade Police officer arrested after allegedly throwing cheeseburger at and punching wife

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

A Miami-Dade Police officer was arrested by Miramar Police after he allegedly threw a McDonald’s cheeseburger at his wife and punched her behind the ear. On Friday, 34-year-old Andres Perez faced a judge in bond court after an argument with his wife led to domestic abuse. His bond was set at $1,000.7News camera captured Perez who said nothing as he walked out jail after posting bond. According to a police report, Perez and his wife of three years were arguing about their finances and marital issues. He reportedly stormed into the kitchen at their home and threw a burger at his wife and punched her behind the ear. The Miami-Dade Police Department’s Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement, “It is disheartening to learn that one of my officers was arrested for a domestic violence incident, that occurred while he was off duty. Police officers are held to a higher standard; this type of behavior will not be tolerated. Any actions that may hinder the pu...

Former foster children win $7M settlement after alleging state turned blind eye to abuse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Four former foster children who were allegedly abused by a Massachusetts couple will be paid $7 million under a settlement with the state.Lawyers for the four announced the settlement Friday afternoon. One of the four died before the settlement was concluded.The plaintiffs sued the Department of Children and Families Services and 17 DCF workers in Middlesex Superior Court, claiming their constitutional rights were violated by the organization’s indifference to the children’s treatment by Raymond and Susan Blouin.The lawsuit alleged the children were locked in dog crates, forced to perform sex acts, submerged in ice baths to the point of drowning and threatened with death while under the couple’s care. The plaintiffs also allege that DCF — then known as the Department of Social Services — ignored multiple reports of abuse and was deliberately indifferent to the abuse allegedly occuring in the home.The four lived with the couple in Oxford, Massachusetts, at various...

Woman accused of Tyngsboro daycare child pornography released to live at parents’ home ahead of trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

The Tyngsboro daycare center employee charged with creating pornographic images of the children she supervises has been released from federal custody.“Briefly stated, the defendant’s release would pose a risk of danger to another or to the community but that risk can be sufficiently mitigated through a combination of conditions that can reasonably assure the safety of (sic) community,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell wrote in his Friday order.Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, N.H., was charged with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography by criminal complaint filed in federal court in Boston on June 22 and arrested that same day.She is accused of taking nude photos of children around the ages of 3 to 5 years old she worked with at the Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsboro largely during naptimes and bathroom breaks for the sexual enjoyment of herself and her former romantic partner, former New Hampshire state representative Stacie Marie Laughton, 39, ...

67 confirmed dead in Maui wildfires, officials say. Follow live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.The death toll from wildfires burning in Maui jumped to 67, Maui County officials said Friday. Officials have said the number is expected to increase as crews search the wreckage that wiped out the popular tourist town of Lahaina. The Lahaina fire is not yet contained.This week’s wildfires are expected to be the second costliest disaster in the history of Hawaii, second only to damages from 1992’s Hurricane Iniki, according to a Friday statement from a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.Karen Clark & Company said in the statement that approximately 3,500 structures w...

Everett mayor’s stunning pre-trial win in defamation case against newspaper: defendants must set aside $850K

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

A judge has ruled Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. is entitled to real estate attachments up to $850,000 on defendants’ real estate assets to cover the damages the mayor “has demonstrated a likelihood that he will recover” in his defamation action against the Leader Herald and its owners.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Justice Department drops inquiry into claims of discrimination in Everett “This is a highly unusual ruling in a defamation case, particularly one brought by a public official where the standard is demonstrating actual malice,” Jeff Robbins, one of DeMaria’s attorneys, told the Herald Friday. “The ruling speaks to the egregiousness of the evidence that was presented to the court, showing that these defendants had acted in a way that was dishonest and intentional.”Robbins is, in addition to serving as one of DeMaria’s attorneys, a regular contributing columnist for the Boston Herald.Middlesex Superior Associate Justice William F. Bloomer...

Hundreds of dead fish wash up on Florida beaches

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

It would have been just another beautiful day at the beach if not for one freakish thing: All the dead fish floating in the ocean and washing up on shore.Clive Taylor has been going to Hollywood beach his entire life and has never seen anything like it.“They’re like everywhere,” he said. “On the shore and in the water. You can smell them.”Hollywood was not the only beach impacted.Hallandale Beach had at least 2,000 tiny dead fish floating up on shore Friday, according to Jim McCrady, supervisor of the city’s lifeguards.With water temperatures rising to record levels over the summer, climate scientists have warned of the potential for coastal fish kills and other impacts to South Florida’s marine environment, including algae blooms and coral reef bleaching.Waters off Florida’s southeastern coast are running about 3.5 degrees higher than normal in Fahrenheit, with waters in the Florida Keys running a staggering 7 degrees above average, according to a recent report by The Miami Herald....

Yankees Notebook: Anthony Rizzo showing signs of progress post-concussion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:56:01 GMT

MIAMI — Anthony Rizzo is showing signs of progress after the Yankees placed him on the injured list with post-concussion syndrome on Aug. 3.Rizzo played for about two months after a collision with the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. likely caused the concussion in late May. While initial testing cleared Rizzo of a concussion, the issue cascaded as he experienced fogginess while enduring a career-worst slump.On Thursday, Rizzo had a doctor’s appointment that involved retesting. Rizzo, who was in Miami with the Yankees on Friday, said that those tests showed the first baseman is moving in the “right direction.”Rizzo is still week-to-week, but he has been keeping his body moving. He hopes to do more baseball activities in the next week. He has already played catch and worked out with medicine balls in the weight room. He’s able to run, too, though not too hard.“Theoretically, I guess I was playing on this for two months,” said Rizzo, who added...