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Ed Augustus sworn-in as housing secretary at State House ceremony

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

It’s Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus now.Gov. Maura Healey swore-in Augustus Thursday morning as the brand new secretariat charged with overseeing housing in Massachusetts, lowering associated costs, and dealing with the many different stakeholders in the industry.Augustus most recently worked as the city manager for Worcester and at one point during his career, made his way to Boston to serve as a state senator. But in his new role, Augustus said he wants to move quickly to inventory surplus state land that can be used for housing production.“There’s a lot of state land that isn’t necessarily being used right now. And that land belongs to the people of the commonwealth and that land should be put to use for the needs of the people of the commonwealth,” he told reporters at the State House. “And there can’t be a more severe and significant and pressing need than creating housing.”The new cabinet-level position completes the split of the original Exe...

Can the Celtics make history after forcing a do-or-die Game 7 against the Heat?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

History has already been made. The Boston Celtics just have to make it one more time.A week ago, the Miami Heat were destined for a trip to the NBA Finals. They were alleged world-beaters who hadn’t only dismissed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks in five first-round games, but were on pace to do the same to the Celtics by taking a commanding 3-0 Eastern Conference Finals series lead.Now, in the blink of an eye, the series is even. There will be a Game 7 — in Boston of all places — and now it’s the Celtics who once again look like Goliaths compared to a Heat team devoid of the confidence it once exuded.Only four teams in NBA history have ever come back from down 0-3 to force a Game 7: The Rochester Royals did it to the Knicks back in 1951; the Denver Nuggets came back to force Game 7 against the Utah Jazz in 1994; the Portland Trail Blazers stunned Dirk Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks to force Game 7 after trailing 0-3 in the first round in 2003...

Harford County basketball coaches weigh in on Nuggets-Heat NBA Finals match-up

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

Harford County high school basketball coaches seem to share common ground dissecting this year’s NBA Finals, pitting the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.To get to this point, top-seeded Denver knifed through western conference foes Minnesota, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers. None of which, required more than six games to advance. The Heat, however, needed every last second of a play-in game against Chicago to make the playoffs as an eight seed. Miami deftly handled Milwaukee in five games but needed six and a hair-pulling seven to pass New York and Boston.Game 1 tips off 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Here’s how a few Harford County coaches are seeing the matchup.Brian Hulka, Fallston boysHulka just wrapped up his eighth season leading the Cougars and he’s confident the Heat can put up a fight. Hulka is taking Denver to close out the series in six games.“Bam Adebayo will frustrate [two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola] Jokic,” Hulka said. “But the Nuggets a...

Mets Notebook: Buck Showalter considering Kodai Senga on regular rest for the first time

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

The Mets have insisted that Kodai Senga needs extra rest, despite the right-hander’s own insistence that he can handle a four or five-day workweek like every other starting pitcher in the Major Leagues.However, the Mets are now considering starting him on four days of rest Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays at home. There are contingency plans in place if he doesn’t pass some physical tests that the training staff is having him go through, but the Mets have done away with their six-man rotation and they’re seeing the results they want to see from Senga to have him on a more normal schedule.“We’ll know Friday,” manager Buck Showalter said Thursday before the Mets played a matinee finale against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. “We’ll do some testing of things that they can do to see how he’s feeling.”Senga has said that it’s nice of the Mets to consider him enough to create a work plan similar to the one he w...

Residents of collapsed Iowa building were allowed to stay as reports noted crumbling wall

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE, HANNAH FINGERHUT and RYAN J. FOLEY (Associated Press)DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A structural engineer report issued just days before an Iowa apartment building partially collapsed indicated a wall of the century-old structure was in imminent risk of crumbling, yet officials did not order residents to leave and said Thursday they relied on the engineer’s assurances that the building remained safe.Three residents of the six-story building in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport are still unaccounted for and there are no immediate plans to demolish what remains of the extremely unstable structure, according to local officials. Crews were using drones to scan the building and consulting with experts about how to safely bring down the structure while being respectful of bodies that could be buried in a debris pile, Mayor Mike Matson said.“It’s dangerous, and it’s shifting,” Matson said.The six-story building partially collapsed shortly ...

‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 finale: What a long, strange, uneventful season it’s been

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

Nina Metz | Chicago Tribune (TNS)What a long, strange, uneventful season it’s been.“Ted Lasso” closes the book on its third and (maybe) final season this week. But a note the title character leaves to journalist Trent Crimm, who was embedded with the Richmond football club all season, suggests a way forward without its star Jason Sudeikis, who is perhaps ready to move onto other things.Trent has titled his book “The Lasso Way,” and on the cover page of an early draft, Ted has scribbled: “One small suggestion … I’d change the title. It’s not about me. It never was.”And so the book becomes “The Richmond Way.”I’ve no doubt Apple TV+ would love to see one of its buzziest offerings continue, and it’s not hard to envision a (Sudeikis-less) spinoff called “The Richmond Way.” The show’s finale leaves enough breadcrumbs to hint at where future storylines may lie.Would a new series retain “Ted Lasso’s” openhearted optimism without Ted at its center? When the show premiered three seasons ago, ...

Winning Powerball ticket worth over $1M sold at South Bay VONS

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

BONITA, Calif. -- A Powerball ticket worth over $1 million was sold at a VONS supermarket in South Bay, the California Lottery announced.The ticket matched five numbers, but missed the Powerball number for Wednesday night’s drawing. The winning numbers were 2, 4, 54, 61, 62 with a Powerball number 14. Everything you need to know about June’s Strawberry Moon The winning Powerball ticket was purchased at a VONS store located at 4404 Bonita Rd. in Bonita. The $1,036,009 million prize was the top winning ticket sold from Wednesday’s drawing.This is the second recent million-dollar winning ticket sold in San Diego County in less than a month, said the California Lottery. A previous lucky Powerball ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven store located at 5746 Amaya Drive in La Mesa in early May.The winner has 180 days from Wednesday to claim their Powerball prize. More information on how to cash in that ticket can be found here.There was no winner for the $239 million jackpot after Wedn...

Overturned U-Haul delays traffic on I-15

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An overturned U-Haul has caused Thursday morning traffic delays on northbound Interstate 15, just before State Route 56.FOX 5 is at the scene and can confirm backed up traffic to Miramar. The two right northbound lanes were blocked as of 9:30 a.m. Two adults sentenced in 2022 road rage incidents The fully loaded U-Haul big rig could be seen on its side on a hillside next to the roadway.Authorities, including Caltrans, are at the scene and say the two right lanes will remain blocked for several hours as crews work to clear the area.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Second teen charged in murder of McKinley Park drummer

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

CHICAGO — A second teen has been arrested in the 2022 alley murder of a South Side musician.In early March, a 14-year-old boy was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder of 27-year-old Ryan Arliskas.“This was a club I never wanted to join,” his mother Molly told WGN News after the arrest. “I want a society that cares more about their own children than guns. So this really caused my misery to become a mission.”On Wednesday, a 15-year-old boy was arrested in the 1300 block of West 14th Street and charged with first-degree murder.Arliskas, 27, from Crystal Lake, moved to the city to get closer to Chicago’s music scene. A dog walker by day, he loved playing the drums and was in three bands.On the night of April 8, 2022, Arliskas left another friend’s apartment seven blocks away at around 10:15 p.m. At around 10:30 p.m., family said Arliskas had his AirPods in when he was pushed into an alley by three young suspects in the 2000 block of West 35th Street.The three suspects...

'A real showing of support': How a slight change to a Highland Park race will honor July 4 shooting victims

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:57 GMT

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — A traditional race in a Lake County city is getting a change in 2023 to help those affected by what happened on July 4, 2022.This was all the idea of one resident and a hobby she rediscovered after being close to the mass shooting that occurred in Highland Park nearly 11 months ago. "It sort of cleared my mind and connected my mind and body, which was really disjointed following the parade," said Ali Burnham, who took up running after ten years and aided in forming a run club in the city as a way to cope with the tragedy. They were the catalyst in changing the name of the North Shore Classic, a half-marathon and 5K race, to the Highland Park Strong Race that's set to be run this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. It will be the 45th time that it's been staged and will also feature a new one-mile race as well.Burnham along with the Highland Park Strong Running Club, which was formed last July, worked with Buffalo Grove-based Ventures Endurance to change the name of the event. ...