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Vandal who swung on crucifix at Cathedral of Holy Cross ordered held on $5,000 cash bail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

A pair of construction workers had a unique assignment Wednesday at the largest church in New England: repairing a crucifix that a vandal broke while swinging on it.A judge at Boston Municipal Court ordered the man behind the damage, Michael Patzelt, 37, of Attleboro, held on $5,000 cash bail and to stay away from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and witnesses who caught him committing the unholy act in the South End.Officers assigned to the neighborhood for the Boston Police Department arrested Patzelt around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call for a suspicious person who had knocked a hat off a woman in the area of the cathedral.“The suspect then proceeded to climb up the cross where he began to swing and hang from it, breaking off several parts of the cross,” a police release states. “The suspect broke both the statue’s arms prior to officers responding and placed him under arrest.”Patzelt pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and malicious destruction of property during a...

Patterson Mill football running back RJ Wilhelm plays in mold of former NFL All-Pro fullback Mike Alstott

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

It was after Patterson Mill dismantled Bohemia Manor for four quarters — a 41-14 win on Sept. 22 — that RJ Wilhelm realized it was within reach.The junior running back walked confidently off the field having dashed 240 yards that night. His dad, Rich, told him the outing positioned him for a successful season and potentially to sniff a lauded milestone. A month later, RJ is at 943 on the year, only 57 rushing yards from joining a short list of Huskies to eclipse 1,000 in a single season.He’ll have the chance to do it at 7 p.m. Thursday at Aberdeen in the Huskies’ regular season finale.“I’ve always had a special connection with my football team,” RJ said. “I wouldn’t be able to get any of these yards without my teammates blocking for me. It’s all the line. They make the holes and I’m just the one who gets to run through them.”Football wasn’t RJ’s first sport growing up. Like many 5-year-olds, he gave ...

Mental health coping strategies during global uncertainty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

During times of global uncertainty and turmoil, it becomes increasingly difficult to care for your mental health. While there aren’t any cure all tips and tricks or easy fixes, there are ways to build resiliency that can help you cope better.Dr. Roger McIntyre, Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto says humans are evolutionarily predisposed to picking up on what’s wrong rather than what’s right.“We as human beings are in fact more sensitive to stress and negative information than we are to positive information. It’s how we’re wired … we’re trying to protect ourselves and towards that aim, we are much more attentive to maybe sources of negativity,” he explains.In the current global climate, with ongoing wars, wildfires, inflation and residual pandemic-related issues, McIntyre says people are being subjected to what’s called Chronic Uncontrollable Stress (CUS).“What we’ve learned in stress...

Lester Holt, Kristen Welker and Hugh Hewitt to moderate third GOP presidential debate Nov. 8 on NBC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Lester Holt, Kristen Welker and Hugh Hewitt will moderate the third Republican presidential debate, scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami, NBC said Wednesday.The first one held outside the confines of Fox News, the two-hour debate will be seen at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC and the NBC News Now streaming service.Holt is the anchor of “NBC Nightly News” and Welker is the moderator of “Meet the Press.” Hewitt hosts a morning talk show for the Salem Radio Network, a co-sponsor of the debate.Qualified participants will be announced later. Former President Donald Trump, leading in polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, skipped the first two debates and has given no indication he will be at any others.The Associated Press

Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Federal officials said Wednesday that conditions have improved on the Colorado River to the point that a plan by California, Arizona and Nevada to voluntarily reduce water use should help keep the river basin on stable footing for the next few years.The U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement that the risk of reaching critically low water elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the river’s two key reservoirs, has gone down substantially. “We have staved off the immediate possibility of the System’s reservoirs from falling to critically low elevations that would threaten water deliveries and power production,” Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said in a statement.The river serves seven U.S. states, Native American tribes and two states in Mexico, supports a multibillion-dollar farm industry in the West and generates hydropower used across the region. Years of overuse by farms and cities and the effects of drought worsened by climate change ...

Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown, charged with killing mother, has been denied release

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

MAYWOOD, Ill. (AP) — Former NFL player Sergio Brown, charged with killing his mother, bought a one-way ticket to Cancun, Mexico, after being the last person seen with the woman before her slaying last month, a prosecutor said Wednesday.Brown, who faces charges of first-degree murder and concealing a homicide, appeared in court for a detention hearing Wednesday before Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez, who denied him pretrial release. He will be detained until his next court date, scheduled for Nov. 22.The body of his mother, Myrtle Brown, was discovered Sept. 16 near a creek in Maywood, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of Chicago. A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and determined that she had been injured during an assault.Brown, 35, and his 73-year-old mother lived together in Maywood.On Oct. 7, Brown was deported to the U.S. from Mexico, and he was brought back to Illionis on Tuesday, local news outlets reported.During the hearing, Brown stood in a gray sweats...

Deer charges through crowded Wisconsin restaurant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

BELOIT, Wis. (AP) — People go to Noodles & Company to save a buck, not to have one interrupt their meal. But that’s what happened in Beloit, Wisconsin, on Tuesday when a deer came crashing through the restaurant’s window.Surveillance footage shows a deer charging into the crowded restaurant around lunchtime, prompting diners to scatter. The animal then explored the dining area and kitchen before exiting out a back door opened by an employee, Noodles & Company spokesperson Stephanie Jerome told The Associated Press.No one was harmed in the incident, and the location has since reopened after a deep clean, Jerome said. The restaurant offered a “2 Buck Mac & Cheese” special on Wednesday to commemorate the incident.The Associated Press

Al-Jazeera Gaza correspondent loses 3 family members in an Israeli airstrike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Al-Jazeera’s chief correspondent in the Gaza Strip, Wael Dahdouh, was helping broadcast live images of the besieged territory’s night sky when he received the devastating news: His wife, son and daughter had all been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.Moments later, the Qatari-based satellite channel switched to footage of Dahdouh entering al-Aqsa hospital in Gaza before giving way to grief as he peered over the body of his dead son.“They take revenge on us in our children,” he said, kneeling over his son’s bloodied body, still wearing his protective press vest from that day’s work.The video was sure to reverberate across the Arab world, where the 53-year-old journalist is well-known as the face of Palestinians during many wars. He is revered in his native Gaza for telling people’s stories of suffering and hardship to the outside world.According to Al-Jazeera, Dahdouh’s family members were killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit Nuseirat...

Hyundai to hold software-upgrade clinics across the US for vehicles targeted by thieves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hyundai said Wednesday that it will set up “mobile clinics” at five U.S. locations to provide anti-theft software upgrades for vehicles now regularly targeted by thieves using a technique popularized on TikTok and other social media platforms.The South Korean automaker will hold the clinics, which will run for two to three days on or adjacent to weekends, in New York City; Chicago; Minneapolis; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Rochester, New York. The clinics will take place between Oct. 28 and Nov. 18. Hyundai said it will also support single-day regional clinics run by dealerships before the end of 2023, although it didn’t name locations or dates.The automaker listed the affected vehicles as the 2018-2022 Accent, the 2011-2022 Elantra, the 2013-2020 Elantra GT, the 2013-2014 Genesis Coupe, the 2018-2022 Kona, the 2020-2021 Palisade, the 2013-2022 Santa Fe, the 2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport, the 2019 Santa Fe XL, the 2011-2019 Sonata, the 2011-2022 Tucson, the 2012-20...

Michigan State hearing officer rules Mel Tucker sexually harassed Brenda Tracy, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:16 GMT

A Michigan State University hearing officer has determined that former Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker sexually harassed rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy, a person familiar with the ruling told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The hearing officer ruled Tucker was in violation of several terms of his contract, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the investigation.Tucker, who was fired nearly a month ago after initially being suspended, has 10 days to file an appeal.“My first reaction was tears of relief,” Tracy told USA Today, which first reported details of the decision. Messages seeking comment were left by AP with Tucker, his attorney and agent as well as with Tracy and her attorney.Tucker was suspended and later fired for acknowledging he had consensual phone sex with Tracy, who was a vendor once paid to speak with the Spartans football team about how to prevent sexual abuse and misbe...