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Miami man indicted for murder in Monroe County overdose death

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – A 56-year-old Miami man was arrested in April for leading an extensive fentanyl distribution ring in Monroe County, has been indicted for murder for his involvement in an overdose death, officials said.According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, a grand jury has charged Melvin Anthony Howard with first-degree murder for supplying the fentanyl that led to the overdose death of 53-year-old Amanda Roberts of Grassy Key on Sept. 2, 2022.In a related case, Alexis Joy Sather, 23, of Marathon, Florida, was arrested for murder in March 2023, connected to Roberts’ death. Authorities said Sather had purchased fentanyl from Howard and subsequently sold it to Roberts.Howard is also facing charges of trafficking fentanyl, conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and the unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.Howard’s initial arrest in April followed a 15-month investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Special Invest...

Sheriff: Florida woman charged with DUI manslaughter ran over husband while looking for dog

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

BREVARD COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A Brevard County woman is accused of running over her husband while the two were trying to look for their lost dog.It was Friday night in Palm Bay when police got a call saying there was a man lying in the road on Dittmer Circle, bleeding and believed to be dead.“Very shocked because nothing has ever happened in this neighborhood before,” said Joshua DeJesus, who lives in the neighborhood.While some in the neighborhood had heard about what happened, others had no idea.“I was just checking the neighborhood website we have. I haven’t seen nothing about it,” DeJesus said.According to the police report, Sally Gore told officers she and her husband had come home from dinner and found their gate open.Assuming their dog had gotten out, she said her husband went to look for it on foot, and she drove off to look as well.After driving around the block, she came home and saw her husband, Gregory, lying in the street.According...

Trump fined $10,000 over comment he made outside court in his New York civil fraud trial

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside” the judge.Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at “you and Cohen.”But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. “I think she’s very biased against us, I think we’ve made that clear,” Trump said.Engoron on Oct. 3 had ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction is...

Boston City Council approves ordinance allowing police to clear tents, other temporary shelters at Mass and Cass

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

The Boston City Council on Wednesday voted to approve an ordinance to clean up tents and other temporary shelters in the area known as Mass and Cass. Mayor Michelle Wu proposed the ordinance back in August. As part of her announcement, Wu layed out a plan to give police the power to remove tents and tarps on public property and roads in cases where people living inside are offered alternative places to live, services, transportation and space to store their belongings. Months later, the City Council this week voted 9-3 in favor of approving the ordinance.Wu is scheduled to speak on Thursday morning about intersecting crises of substance use disorder, mental health issues and homelessness near the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue. A city spokesperson, in the meantime, said officials “are grateful to the Council for their partnership in approving this ordinance to help address the public safety of patients, workers, and residents in the area so ...

Police investigating after Newport, NH school bus windows shattered in act of vandalism

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

Police in Newport, NH, are investigating an act of vandalism that left the windows on multiple school buses shattered.The Newport Police Department shared images of the aftermath Tuesday morning, which featured at least two school buses with over a dozen broken windows at the town’s bus garage.“This senseless act not only costs the taxpayers of our school district substantial money, it also interferes with the ability for our students to safely get to school,” the police department posted on Facebook.As police continue to search for a suspect, the department asks that anyone with information contact Officer Shawn Seymour or Sergeant Alex Marvin at (603) 863-3232.

Clark University students walk out of class to support Palestinian people

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

More than 100 Clark University students walked out of class on Wednesday to show solidarity with the Palestinian people amidst the fighting in the Middle East.“What we need for a short term solution is a ceasefire from our politicians,” said Raquyah Al-Ashabi, a Clark alum, at the event.The rally at Clark is part of a national day of action where young people are demanding their schools stop supporting companies that are providing military aid to Israel. The group peacefully gathered for about an hour.“We believe it’s not fair for our money to essentially be going to killing our own people,” said Laila El-Samra, with the Middle Eastern & North African Student Association, “and we also want them to release a statement acknowledging Palestine and the Palestinians.”“This was a rally of solidarity and to express public support,” said Aaron Kirschenbaum, who organized the rally.These walk-outs come as college campuses deal with rising tensions from students on either side of th...

Search underway for missing MIT professor who also teaches in western New York

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

A search continued in New York Tuesday for a missing MIT professor who authorities say may be in danger. Officials said Heikki Rantakari also teaches at the University of Rochester in New York and never showed up for class on Saturday. Rantakari was subsequently reported missing. “He’s got family back in Boston and, obviously, they’re concerned about him as well,” said Rochester Police Captain Greg Bello. “[T]hat’s what we’re trying to resolve here and try to figure out what happened.”New York investigators spent part of Tuesday searching an Airbnb where Rantakari had been staying. “We did find evidence that he was there,” Bello said. Bello said Rantakari checked into the Airbnb on Friday. “Now, it’s a matter of what happened from there and that’s what we’re trying to track down,” Bello continued. Rantakari is a visiting professor at MIT who also teaches economics at the University of Rochester.“Obviously, it’s concerning that he flew here for a ...

Connecticut dog trainer arraigned on charges connected to French bulldog’s death 

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

At just 3-years-old, Charlie the French bulldog should have had plenty of life ahead of him. However, a two-week training session became a death sentence for Bart Hanson’s dog, police said.Josephine Ragland, a dog trainer Hanson hired, is accused of lying about Charlie’s death in order to keep collecting payments and lying to investigators.28-year-old Ragland from Connecticut pleaded not guilty to the charges.North Reading police began investigating when Ragland did not bring Charlie home in mid-September, as scheduled.“Initially, the defendant,who at this point was going by the name Lily, had stated that she got in a car accident and the dog had jumped out of the car,” the prosecutor said.Hanson said at that time, Ragland stopped answering their calls, and investigators said her story kept changing.Police later found Charlie dead near a Connecticut highway. A necropsy did not show any blunt force trauma but did show signs of starvation.“It’s very emotionally disconcerting for...

Ticker: Bud Light to return as UFC’s official beer; Apple hiking fees on streaming plans

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

Bud Light is set to return as the official beer of the UFC in the U.S. next year as the brand tries to recover from a conservative backlash to a promotion with a transgender influencer.Under a new multiyear marketing deal between the promoter of mixed martial arts fights and Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch, the brewer will become the UFC’s “Official Beer Partner” in the U.S. starting Jan. 1, the two companies announced.Outside the U.S., AB InBev, the parent of Anheuser-Busch, will be UFC’s official global partner.Financial details of the deal were not disclosed — but, citing a person familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the global agreement marks the UFC’s largest sponsorship ever, surpassing a $175 million fight-kit deal signed with Crypto.com back in 2021.This isn’t the first time the UFC and the beer brand have paired up. Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC’s original beer sponsors more than 15 years ago, UFC CEO Dana White ...

Red Sox announce hire of Craig Breslow as chief baseball officer

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:00:08 GMT

Less than a day after news broke that Craig Breslow would be the guy, the Red Sox made it official.The Red Sox announced Wednesday afternoon that Craig Breslow has been hired as chief baseball officer, handing the keys to the former left-handed pitcher who helped lead the club to a World Series championship in 2013.Breslow will succeed Chaim Bloom, who was fired in mid-September after nearly four years on the job.A 12-year big league veteran, Breslow has emerged as a rising star in the front office world, making a quick impression since joining the Chicago Cubs front office in 2019. Breslow has played an integral role in turning around the Cubs’ pitching development program, rising from director of strategic initiatives to his most recent role as assistant general manager/senior vice president of pitching.The Red Sox hope he’ll be able to get similar results, both in terms of building the major league club back towards contention and ending the organization’s recen...