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Massachusetts State Police union elects new president

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

With nearly ¾ of all members casting a vote, the president of the State Police union has been replaced.The State Police Association of Massachusetts, or SPAM, Election Committee reported on the union’s public-facing communications website that Brian Williams, a member of the certification unit of the State Police Standards and Training division, had won election as the association’s president. He will replace Patrick McNamara, who had served as president for two years.A total of 1,540 votes were cast out of the eligible pool of 2,078, representing a 74% turnout by Association members, according to the results page. Williams earned 764 votes to McNamara’s 650. Peter Levesque came in third with 112 votes.SPAM Vice President Luke Bonin kept his seat with 1,107 votes to challenger Seth Peterson’s 388. Secretary Matthew Kane ran unopposed so kept his seat. Conversely, Treasurer Christopher Donahue, with 575 votes, lost his seat to challenger Brendan Murphy’s 934 votes.Williams, in a lett...

Goalie Mike Karo, Hingham hold off St. John’s Prep, 3-2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

MIDDLETON – Slated with two games against Catholic Conference powers after losing the season-opener to Andover, there was a real chance the Hingham boys hockey team could have started the year at 0-3 – especially while missing star forward Travis Rugg due to injury.Not once did the thought come up, though, and that confidence showed plenty Saturday as the No. 7 Harbormen (1-1) edged out a 3-2 win over No. 5 St. John’s Prep (0-1) at Essex Sports Center.Paul Dzavik scored the first of his two goals within the first 27 seconds, setting the tone early for a two-goal lead by the end of the first period. The Eagles twice cut their deficit as they carried play in long stretches, but the Hingham defense blocked a barrage of shots and sophomore goalie Mike Karo (33 saves) showed great vision on what got through.“We capitalized on every opportunity we got,” said Hingham head coach Tony Messina. “We played with a bunch of energy and that helped us. … We had so many kids tonight that kind of (s...

Patriots elevate Kevin Harris from the practice squad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

The Patriots elevated running back Kevin Harris from the practice squad on Saturday afternoon.It’s the second week in a row that Harris, a 2022 sixth-round pick out of South Carolina, will be on the game day roster. He joins Ezekiel Elliott and JaMycal Hasty among Patriots available running backs with Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) ruled out.Harris did not play in last week’s 21-18 win over the Steelers despite being elevated.The Patriots also downgraded tight end Pharaoh Brown to questionable with a foot injury. Tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are available to play if Brown is inactive.

Hong Kong’s activist publisher to stand trial this week under Beijing’s crackdown on dissidents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — The trial of Hong Kong’s most famous activist publisher who was arrested under China’s crackdown on dissidents will start Monday after being delayed for over a year.Jimmy Lai, 76, broke into the city’s once freewheeling media world about three decades ago, armed with the belief that delivering information is equal to protecting freedom. Now, his own freedom is at stake as he faces a possible life sentence if convicted under a national security law imposed by Beijing following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Lai is charged with colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to publish seditious publications. The landmark case — tied to the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily that Lai founded — is seen by many as a trial for press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the former British colony, which was promised to have its Western-style civil liberties remain intact for 50 years after returning to ...

Large fire burns second residential construction site in three days in Denver suburb

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Firefighters in the Denver metro area responded to the second large fire at an Aurora construction site in three days on Saturday. Officials have not yet determined the cause for either fire and have not suggested that they were related, but both are under investigation. Saturday’s five-alarm fire was reported about 12:48 p.m., said Aurora Fire Rescue spokesperson Andrew Logan, at a large apartment building that was still under construction. Responding crews went to the top floor of the five-story building where the blaze was reported to have started, but the dangerous conditions soon forced crews from several different agencies to focus on fighting the flames from outside the structure. One firefighter suffered minor injuries, according to a department news release, but was not taken to a hospital and is recovering.No other buildings were damaged in the fire, Logan said, and firefighters were expected to remain on the scene through Saturday evening.Another fire ...

Jake Browning shines again for Bengals, rallying them to 27-24 overtime win over Vikings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Trailing 17-3 late in the third quarter behind an offense that had struggled to move the ball, the Bengals needed Jake Browning to be nearly perfect — and he was.Browning led Cincinnati to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and directed the winning drive in overtime in his latest extraordinary performance since taking over for the injured Joe Burrow, and the Bengals beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 on Saturday to improve their position in the playoff race.Browning won his third straight start and improved to 3-1 since Burrow suffered a season-ending right wrist injury in a loss at Baltimore. This time, he threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime, becoming the fourth QB in the past two years to throw for at least that many yards and two or more scores after three quarters.“I feel like I need a beer,” said Browning, who beat a team that cut him from its practice squad two years ago.Tee Higgins went high over a Vikings defender to catch a...

Group of teens charged after allegedly beating man and stealing his car in Loop parking garage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

CHICAGO — Four teenage boys were taken into police custody and charged Saturday after beating a man and stealing his vehicle in a Loop parking garage, according to the Chicago Police Department.Here is a list of the suspects placed in police custody and their corresponding charges:14-year-old boy: One felony count of vehicular hijacking.15-year-old boy: One felony count of vehicular hijacking.15-year-old boy: One felony count of vehicular hijacking.16-year-old boy: One felony count of vehicular hijacking.CPD said a 52-year-old man was entering his vehicle in a parking garage in the 200 block of North LaSalle Street when at least four teenage boys approached and hit him in the head with an unknown object. The man fell to the ground and police said the teens continued to beat him, hitting him in the face and body, before they took his keys and fled the scene in his vehicle with his personal belongings. 16-year-old boy charged with 1st degree murder in double fatal shooting of 14-yea...

Police: 1 shot at Barton Creek Square mall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person was shot at Barton Creek Square mall on Saturday afternoon, according to the Austin Police Department. The shooting happened near the AMC theater and The Cheesecake Factory. APD said officers responded to a shots fired call at 4:43 p.m. The victim was taken to the hospital with minor, non-life-threatening injuries, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. Two more people had minor injuries from evacuating the mall, but they were not taken to the hospital. APD said a suspect was not in custody as of 5:50 p.m. Police said this was not an active shooter situation and there was no threat to the public. Police said this is "an isolated incident," and an investigation is ongoing. The mall went on lockdown, but APD said mall announcements were made before 6 p.m. telling people they could leave the mall. In an update just before 7 p.m., police said the mall reopened except for the area near The Cheesecake Factory and movie theater.What witnesses saw, heardA mall emp...

State of Texas: 'Revenge tours' shape battles on Texas primary ballots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The ballot is set for the 2024 Texas primary. Monday marked the deadline for candidates to file for the March 5 election. While every primary season has its share of heated campaigns, 2024 has something different in play: revenge. Two of the state's top Republican leaders are campaigning against incumbents from their own party. The outcome could bring significant change to the Texas House.Both Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have mounted what some call "revenge tours" in the runup to the primary. Abbott is endorsing candidates running against Republican House members who voted against his priority legislation for Education Savings Accounts, which allow parents to use public dollars to pay for private school. Paxton is endorsing candidates running against House Republicans who voted to impeach him.Those vendettas against certain members have put Abbott and Paxton on different sides in several races. There are at least 22 House races in which Ab...

St. Paul man sentenced to nearly four years in prison for firearms charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

A St. Paul man connected to a Maplewood shooting in 2022 was sentenced to 3.8 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota AndrewLuger announced this week.Court documents show on March 7, 2023, St. Paul police officers went looking for De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo, 25, who was a suspect in an investigation.De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo (Courtesy of Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)During their surveillance of the apartment building where Griffo lived, police said they saw him leave wearing a cross-body bag across his chest. He drove away in a Chevrolet Equinox and parked in a thrift store lot. Officers activated their emergency lights and conducted a felony stop.Officers said that before they approached the vehicle, Griffo took off his bag and put it behind the center console of the car.After he was arrested, officers obtained a search warrant and recovered the bag, which they said contained a .45-caliber Glock pistol with an extended m...