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New Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioner eyes long tenure with new administration after turnover at the top

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

New Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Brian Arrigo said he wants to be the “longest serving” person in the role after a report released Friday pointed out turnover at the top of the department within the last decade.A report from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission said there have been six DCR commissioners in the past eight years, which has led to a lack of “leadership continuity, clear direction, and accountability at the top.”The Department is tasked with managing the 450,000 acres that make up the state’s parks system.DCR commissioners, the report said, often made promises or commitments that they where then not around to keep.Arrigo, the former mayor of Revere, is only three weeks into his new job as commissioner but, at a Friday morning event, said he has heard from staff who are excited to have a new commissioner, “who has been appointed by a new governor, who will be around for a little while.”“I look forward to the...

Julius Randle disappears, Knicks outworked and now on brink of elimination as Heat takes Game 4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

MIAMI — The Knicks sit on the brink of elimination. And they deserve that position.Outcoached, outhustled, outclassed and punked again, New York fell Monday night to the Miami Heat, 109-101, with Julius Randle disappearing in a pivotal moment and Jalen Brunson unable to carry the stragglers past Jimmy Butler.Randle continued his series to forget by fouling out with about three minutes left. He went scoreless in the fourth quarter, taking just one shot in the final period as the Heat’s lead remained steady.The Knicks, trailing 3-1 in the series, could be eliminated with a loss Wednesday at home.“Just maybe they want it more, I don’t know,” Randle said. “That’s been who we are all year.”Brunson tried his best in the final minutes and finished with 32 points and 11 assists, but the Knicks were dominated in too many areas. They gave up 13 offensive rebounds — including seven in the fourth quarter — and were generally bullied in...

Jalen Brunson’s awards snubs shows voters didn’t understand his impact on Knicks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

MIAMI — While Jalen Brunson was ascending to a higher status of greatness in the playoffs, the annual NBA awards trickled in and demonstrated the Knicks point guard still hasn’t captured his due respect.Brunson didn’t come close to winning any of the three categories that he should’ve been considered as a viable candidate. It followed up his snub for the All-Star team this year.Meanwhile, Julius Randle, who had been a disappointment in the playoffs heading into Friday’s Game 6, was named to the All-NBA Third Team.“Obviously, it’s a great honor. It’s a testament, you know, those things don’t happen without the group of guys that we have,” Randle said. “I’ve said it all year, it takes the belief of the front office,  our coaching staff, and most of all my teammates. They trust me to go out there and compete every night and play at a high level. I just Thank God. It’s a huge honor.”As Randle spoke ...

‘They put no limits on my potential’: Roxbury Community College celebrates 50th anniversary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

Roxbury Community College is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, kicking off events by discussing the lasting impact of the institution on students.“If I hadn’t come to RCC, I wouldn’t have gotten to be that voice that I am for my kids, that I am for students,” said Monique Paul, a RCC graduate from the class of 2018, reflecting on her healthcare career and life since graduating. “I wouldn’t be where I am today.”Paul was one of several alumni to speak at a panel in the RCC Media Arts Center on Thursday afternoon — echoing how the college changed their and generations of other students’ lives in the last 50 years.The panel, moderated by state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, kicked off three days of events marking the anniversary, including the commencement ceremony Friday and a block party, step show, film screening and hip-hop performances on campus Saturday.Panelists praised the college for its accessibility and strong systems of support ...

Border conditions remain the same one day after Title 42 expires

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Title 42 is over, but border conditions remain the same. Hundreds of people are still behind the border wall near San Ysidro, waiting for their opportunity to seek asylum.Men, women and children were seen covered with blankets on Friday morning. Some were waiting in makeshift tents made from garbage bags. They were sitting on the dirt, next to piles of trash and debris. Hundreds of migrants still waiting along San Diego border as Title 42 ends Border Patrol has been mobilizing people now that Title 42 has expired. Since Thursday night, agents have taken groups of people to get processed. Families with children under the age of two have been their primary focus.On the U.S. side of the border wall, more humanitarian aid is arriving. Flower Alvarez, a volunteer with a nonprofit group out of North County, spent the night at the border while attending to the needs of migrants. However, she says there is still a lot of need. “Blankets, sweaters and jackets --...

New In-N-Out Burger opens in South Bay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- One of California's most popular hamburger joints is officially slinging patties at a brand new storefront in South Bay.Located at at 1810 Main Court, In-N-Out Burger will be serving up made-to-order hamburgers, fries and shakes made with real ice cream. Customers can expect fresh ingredients that the restaurant says will be supplied directly to the store. CA Instacart workers to get millions in restitution: find out if you qualify This includes their 100% American beef and whole chuck that the brands says is ground by In-N-Out's very own butchers. It also includes whole potatoes that will be hand diced for fresh, not frozen, French fries.The storefront will have one drive through lane, plus indoor seating for up to 74 guests and a covered patio with outdoor seating for up to 39 guests.This new In-N-Out Burger will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, guests can indulge between 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.The Chula V...

Doomsday plot: Idaho jury convicts Lori Vallow Daybell of murdering 2 children, romantic rival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho jury on Friday convicted Lori Vallow Daybell of murder in the deaths of her two youngest children and a romantic rival, a verdict that marks the end of a three-year investigation that included bizarre claims of zombie children, apocalyptic prophesies and illicit affairs.Vallow Daybell, who wore a simple black dress, showed no expression as the verdict was read. Some in the courtroom gallery wiped tears from their eyes.Prosecutors in the case described Vallow Daybell as a power-hungry manipulator who would kill her two youngest children for money, while the defense team said she was normally protective mother who fell under the romantic sway of a wannabe cult leader.Jurors heard both stories Thursday during final arguments in the seven-week long trial, and deliberated for about four hours before breaking for the evening. They resumed deliberations Friday morning and reached a verdict, which was announced shortly after noon.Vallow Daybell was convicted of ...

First Nation did not prove Aboriginal title for entire claim area: B.C. Supreme Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

VANCOUVER — A British Columbia Supreme Court judge ruling on a First Nations land title lawsuit says it did not prove it had rights to its entire claim area, although he suggested it may be time for the provincial government to rethink its current test for such titles. The Nuchatlaht First Nation, a community on Vancouver Island’s northwest coast, wanted title over an area of Crown land that included a portion of Nootka Island and much of the surrounding coastline.Justice Elliott Myers said in his decision issued Thursday that there “may be areas” the nation can establish in its claim, but if it wants to do that another hearing would be required.“I stress that I am not prejudging any of the issues or whether a pleading amendment would be necessary,” he said in the decision. “I am merely leaving it open to the plaintiff to come back before me to canvass these issues should it wish to do so.”He’s given the nation 14 days to decide if it ...

Historically Black medical schools urge more spending in hearing with Bernie Sanders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — To train more Black doctors, the federal government needs to bolster funding and make more training slots available for historically Black medical schools, leaders of those universities told U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday.“Our HBCU medical schools are the backbone of training Black doctors in this country.” Dr. Hugh Mighty, Howard University’s senior vice president of health affairs, said at a hearing in Atlanta.Students, meanwhile, told the independent senator from Vermont who chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that the heavy debt many aspiring physicians pile up is particularly discouraging to nonwhite students, whose families are less likely to be able to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition and fees.“The greatest barrier to entry for burgeoning Black physicians is the immense and seemingly insurmountable financial risk waiting to shackle all those who pass through the gates of medical education,” Dr. Samuel Cook, a Mor...

Early heat wave in Pacific Northwest could break records

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:54 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An early May heat wave this weekend could surpass daily records in parts of the Pacific Northwest and worsen wildfires already burning in western Canada, a historically temperate region that has grappled with scorching summer temperatures and unprecedented wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years.“We’re looking at record-breaking temperatures,” said Miles Higa, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Portland office, describing the warmth as “unusual for this time of year.”The unseasonal high temperatures could further fuel the dozens of fires burning in Canada’s western Alberta province, where officials have ordered evacuations and declared a state of emergency. Residents and officials in the Northwest have been trying to adjust to the likely reality of longer, hotter heat waves following the deadly “ heat dome ” weather phenomenon in 2021 that prompted record temperatures and deaths across the region.The National Weather Service issued...