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Freshman fears: high school senior offers advice for incoming 9th graders

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Back to school.For some students those three words generate the excitement of seeing friends, getting back to playing sports or other favorite extracurricular activities. For others, it generates anxiety, and that can be especially true for kids heading from middle to high school.Sami Saeed is Montgomery County’s student member of the board of education, or “SMOB.” He says he understands that anxiety, but has some encouraging words for those entering the halls of high school for the first time.First, he told WTOP that incoming freshmen should take comfort in the knowledge that they’ve already overcome a huge challenge: middle school.“Middle school — and the drama that’s in middle school — is a hundred … a thousand times worse than in high school. All the things that seemed so huge in middle school,” Saeed said, “In high school, no one cares anymore.”In those first few days of high school, Saeed said to “have confidence,” something he acknowledges is “easier said than don...

Federal disaster declared after June storms, Highlands Ranch tornado

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- After severe weather damaged parts of Colorado in June, including a tornado in Highlands Ranch, the state and local governments will be eligible for federal assistance.The White House announced Friday that President Joe Biden had approved a disaster declaration for areas southeast of Denver that were hit by tornadoes, flooding and storms from June 8-23. The declaration covers Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties. Photos: Damage from Highlands Ranch tornado on June 22 Storm damage in Highlands Ranch in the area of Chesapeake Street and Chesapeake Lane on June 22, 2023. (Photo: Douglas County Sheriff's Office)The tornado that touched down in Highlands Ranch on June 22 caused damage in neighborhoods, took down more than 16,000 trees, ripped off part of the roof at Northfield Elementary School and hit a car dealership. Crews assessed the damage in the days that followed to see if it reached the level to get this federal assistance.A few ...

Advertising boat captains rescue woman after her dog knocks her into Miami River on Brickell Key

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Two crew members from a Ballyhoo Media advertising boat helped pull a woman to safety on Brickell Key after she was knocked into the water by her dog.The captains spoke to 7News on Friday afternoon, just hours after the rescue. “This boat happens to have a flat bottom so we can go in shallower water,” said Capt. Moe Wyman with Ballyhoo Media.The woman was thrown into the water near the entrance to the Miami River.The captains, experienced members of the Ballyhoo Media team, noticed the woman struggling in the water and offered their help.“I’ve been with the company for about a year, and we go slow enough that if we see a problem, when we see the problem, we ask if they need help,” said Wyman.A picture taken by one of the captains showed people unsuccessfully trying to get the woman back to land. “I noticed a woman, they were trying to pull her out of the water, and it was about 5 feet [deep], and they couldn’t do it,” said Wyman. ̶...

CityPlace Doral invites families to have eye-popping weekend fun at Summer Chalk Fest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

I don’t know about you, but I am a pro finger-painter … but that’s not the kind of finger painting we’re talking about. There’s a festive event in Doral on Saturday to help you chalk up some weekend fun.The kiddos may be back in school, but summer is far from over at CityPlace Doral.Claudia Marquez: “Here at CityPlace Doral, you can enjoy our different restaurants, our entertainment, our beautiful fountain, as well as our art installations that we are doing here at the center to make it memorable for the whole family to enjoy.”And this weekend, things are getting even more colorful.Claudia Marquez: “This weekend, we’re doing our Summer Chalk Fest Festival. We have Ken Mullen who will be doing the chalk. We will also have activities for the kids to enjoy. There’ll be an interactive DJ.”Ken Mullen, also known as Mellow Monkey Art, has been doing chalk art for about 30 years.Ken Mullen: “I specialize in 3-D anamorphic ch...

Gypsy Chef David Myers puts his own spin on Mediterranean cuisine at Adrift Mare in Brickell

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Taking a fancy trip to the Mediterranean can be expensive, especially when you start adding up all the good food you wanna try while there. That’s why Deco has found the next best thing. There’s a new restaurant that’s bringing those bold and authentic flavors to the Magic City. Trust us, your stomach is gonna thank you for this.You’ve probably heard of Esmeralda from Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”Kevin Kline (as Phoebus, voice): “You fight almost as well as a man.”Demi Moore (as Esmeralda, voice): “Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you.”Or perhaps Shakira’s old school bop, “Gypsy.”Shakira (singing): “‘Cause I’m a gypsy. Are you coming with me? I might steal your clothes and wear them if they fit me.”But your taste buds are about to go on a culinary journey, because celebrity chef David Myers, aka the Gypsy Chef, is setting up shop in SoFlo.Chef David Mye...

Man sentenced to 42 years in prison for 2019 death of New Hampshire pastor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — A man was sentenced to 42 years in prison Friday for fatally shooting a New Hampshire pastor whose church he attended.Brandon Castiglione, 28, who was convicted of second degree murder, did not testify at his trial in May. Prosecutors said there was no clear motive for the shooting.Luis Garcia, 60, was found dead Oct. 1, 2019, inside Castiglione’s home in Londonderry. Garcia was a pastor at New England Pentecostal Ministries in Pelham.Castiglione attended the church and prayer services hosted by Garcia, prosecutors said. Castiglione and Garcia also got together outside of church, going to firing ranges, and Garcia was at the house that day for a painting job, according to trial testimony.Garcia’s stepson, Dale Holloway, is charged with opening fire during a wedding at the church later that month, wounding a bishop and the bride-to-be. The groom was Brandon Castiglione’s father. Holloway pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.

Kicked to the curb, Kiké Hernandez and Ryan Brasier enjoying renewed success with Dodgers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Ever since the 2023 MLB schedules came out last summer, this weekend has been circled on the calendar.Mookie Betts’ return to Fenway Park was always going to be an emotional experience for everyone involved. Yet even if Mookie is the star of the show, this weekend will provide two other former Red Sox players the opportunity for closure as well.Kiké Hernández and Ryan Brasier are back in Boston for the first time as visiting players since their tenures with the Red Sox ended abruptly earlier this season. Both were effectively kicked to the curb due to their extended struggles, but since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers they’ve found a new lease on life and have re-emerged as valuable contributors.Prior to being traded on July 25, Hernández was batting .222 with a .599 OPS, six home runs and 31 RBI in 86 games. He’d also lost his job as the starting shortstop after committing a then-league-high 14 errors and following the trade was expected to primarily come off the ...

Boston’s St. Anthony’s Feast ups security after underage drinking at other festivals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Organizers of the St. Anthony’s Feast in the North End are warning attendees this weekend that there will be a zero tolerance for public drinking and increased security throughout the festival.A week after the Boston Police Department responded to a separate festival in the neighborhood, the Fisherman’s Feast, for 20 reports of underage drinking, the St. Anthony’s Feast kicks off Friday evening with additional precautions in place.Feast organizers said they are working with the Boston Police Department and hired a private security firm to have personnel at the entrances to the feast to check bags. Attendees are also barred from bringing backpacks, which community members have previously said out-of-town teenagers use to carry alcohol.“To ensure a safe and fun atmosphere for everyone there will be zero tolerance of public drinking and in particular under age consumption of alcohol,” organizers said.There will be an “increased presence” of police and security starting Frid...

Same and different, Mookie Betts returns to Fenway for the first time

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

1,426 days.That’s how long it’s been since Mookie Betts played his last game in a Red Sox uniform — though no one knew that for certain at the time — and gave Boston one last magical moment, just in case it was goodbye. Racing around the bases from first to home on a Rafael Devers grounder gone haywire, Betts dove headfirst into home plate for the winning run, then bounced back up, roaring joyfully to the adoring crowd as his teammates rushed out of the dugout to envelope him.How had it already been 1,426 days?The Red Sox-Dodgers series at Fenway Park this weekend is a reunion or homecoming for several players and staff on each side. Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner played 12 and nine years in Los Angeles, respectively. Their manager, Dave Roberts, was Dodgers teammates with Red Sox manager Alex Cora in 2004, of all seasons. Roberts’ current squad includes Kiké Hernández, who’s back in Los Angeles after a midseason trade from Boston, and four members of the Re...

Boston Mayor Wu unveils Mass and Cass plan, highlighted by tent ban and 30-bed shelter

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled plans that would give police the authority to clear out homeless encampments and crack down on the increased crime occurring at the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue.To cushion the blow of removing their tents and tarps, Wu said the city would seek to house the displaced individuals at a temporary 30-bed shelter, which would open at a nearby campus operated by the Boston Public Health Commission.“Today, I believe we’re moving towards a very important phase change that will make a significant difference for the many, many communities made up of workers and residents at Mass and Cass,” Wu said at a Friday press conference. “But this is also not the solution to the opioid crisis or homelessness.”Wu said she plans to file an ordinance Monday that would give the Boston Police Department the authority to remove tents and tarps at Mass and Cass, giving more teeth to an executive order she first tried to enforce in January 2022....