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Mass. school districts face bus driver shortage with less than a month before classes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

State-wide shortage of school bus drivers for some districts is leaving a driver deficiency across the state struggling to fill the gaps. Executive Director Tom Hamilton of the School Transportation Association of Massachusetts said suburbs are mostly affected.“We’re seeing probably about a 10 to 15 percent shortage across the state in all the suburbs,” Hamilton said.Framingham needs 77 total drivers to accommodate all students but only have 57 drivers currently employed to start the year“That’s a lot of drivers to be sure, and if you have an injury or somebody’s out sick, it just compounds it,” Hamilton said.In Hopkinton, a bus in front of the high school was advertising for potential bus drivers to apply. The sign says “Drivers Wanted. Will Train.”Many districts are still trying to bounce back from the pandemic when some drivers had to get more consistent employment.“It was shaky because some districts were only going two days a week, some were going three, some were go...

Bill Madden: Time for Hal Steinbrenner to clean house in the Yankees’ failed analytics department

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

The Yankee legions are exasperated.They have seen enough of this aging, non-athletic, unexciting Yankee team that is about to miss the postseason for the fourth time in the last 11 years despite the highest or second highest payrolls throughout, and they want the principal architect, Brian Cashman, fired.They have looked up and down the lineup and what they have seen is the Orioles and Rays in particular have better, mostly younger, more athletic players on both sides of the ball at catcher, first base, shortstop, third base and left field. They see in Aaron Judge and Clarke Schmidt the only two homegrown players of consequence on this team and wonder why the Yankee player development department has failed so miserably for so long.Back in March Hal Steinbrenner said you shouldn’t have to spend $300 million to win a title and he was right. You shouldn’t have to spend $300 million (or in the Yankees’ case $280 million) to finish last (where they were entering the wee...

The Perseid meteor shower peaks Saturday and there’s still time to catch a view, NASA says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight but star-gazers may still be able to catch some of the action into Sunday night.The Perseid meteor shower hits its height as the Earth moves through the “dustiest debris of comet Swift Tuttle’s trails,” according to NASA. And the event is considered to be “the best meteor shower of the year due to its high rates and pleasant late-summer temperatures.”“Unlike last year’s shower coinciding with the full moon, this year’s moon will be a waning crescent, allowing even some of the fainter meteors to be seen,” NASA said.The best place to watch is well away from the city, according to the space agency, in the hour just before dawn on peak nights. Brighter skies in suburban areas “greatly reduce the rates, with 10 or fewer expected in an hour,” according to NASA.“You can see the Perseid meteor shower best in the Northern Hemisphere. All you need to catch the show is a clear sky, darkness, and a bit of patience. You don’t need to look in any particular...

Crime Briefs: Police searching for Roxbury man wanted on murder warrant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

Boston police are searching for a 31-year-old Roxbury man wanted for murder connected to the fatal stabbing last year of Earnest Sims, 39, of Boston.Roxbury’s Anthony Chester is wanted on a straight warrant out of Roxbury District Court for the May 30, 2022, fatal stabbing, police said. He was last seen in Roxbury and is described as a Black male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches, and about 190 pounds.Police said officers responded to the area of Beauford Lane in Dorchester in May 2022 for a report of a man stabbed. Officers found Sims suffering from life-threatening injuries, police said.Sims was taken to a local area hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police.“The Boston Police Department is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470,” Boston police said in a statement.Boston police released this image of Anthony Chester, 31, of Roxbury, who is wan...

Relief for Malaysian leader Anwar, as the opposition fails to alter status quo in state elections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian state elections Saturday ended in a return to the political status quo, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government and the Islamist opposition both retaining control of three states each as widely expected.The Election Commission announced that Anwar’s multi-coalition government triumphed in Selangor and Penang, two of the country’s richest states, as well as Negeri Sembilan. It said the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc, which includes the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), captured three poorer Malay heartland states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu in the north. Analysts said the outcome lifted pressure on Anwar and would boost the stability of his nascent government. Before Anwar came to power in November, Malaysia had three prime ministers since 2018 after lawmakers switched support for political mileage.Anwar said all sides should accept the people’s decision. “This is the time for everyone, for ...

Upwards of 50 ducks affected by chemicals from Friday’s industrial fire in Etobicoke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

Toronto Wildlife officials say upwards of 50 ducks may have been affected as a result of chemicals leaking into a creek following a massive fire at an industrial plant on Friday. More than 100 firefighters responded to an explosion just after 1 a.m. at the Brenntag Canada chemical storage facility on Vulcan Street near Martin Grove Road and Belfield Road. The six-alarm blaze sent flames and plumes of dark smoke shooting into the air, forcing businesses in the nearby area to evacuate while residents were asked to stay indoors with their windows shut.Fire officials confirmed that a number of petroleum-based products were burning, primarily motor oil, but that they managed to contain the blaze and keep it away from more hazardous chemicals that were stored within the facility.Given the nature of the chemicals stored at the site, concern immediately shifted to potential health and environmental threats. Toronto Water and the Ministry of the Environment were on the scene conducting tests...

Bud Billiken Parade returns for 94th, inspiring Black youth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Bud Billiken Parade returns to Chicago for its 94th year to kick off a new school year, celebrating African American culture and the talents of the youth. This year's theme is 'Parading in Peace Block by Block, sending positive vibes to youth going back to school. Founder of the Chicago Defender, Robert Sengstacke Abbott created the parade in 1924 which simply started as a picnic, then turned to festival in 1929. Kittens thriving after spending 5 days in shipping container from Georgia Generations of families lined the streets to watch marching bands, tumblers and the beloved South Shore drill team. Grammy winner and Chicago native J. Ivy will serve as Grand Marshal.'Bud Billiken' stands as a fictious character, or mascot of the Chicago Defender, made to protect and inspire the youth. The parade has now become the nation's second largest next to the Rose Parade. The three-mile-long parade kicked off Saturday morning and ends with a festival and picnic in Washington...

'Water intoxication': How much water is too much?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

(NEXTAR) – Staying properly hydrated is essential for keeping the body functional and healthy. But too much can be detrimental, and, in very rare cases, lead to death.One such case involved a 35-year-old woman in Indiana who unexpectedly died last month after consuming a large volume of water in a short amount of time, leading to low sodium concentrations in the blood, brain swelling and ultimately death, medical experts believe.“A condition happens in your body if you drink too much liquid that has no electrolytes in it, which is water, which causes hyponatremia, which is low sodium,” Monica Gandhi, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco told NewsNation last week.“If you have low sodium, you can get many conditions, but it’s really brain swelling that led to the death in this case. It’s a very sad case,” she said.Ashley Summers, the Indiana woman who died last month, had reportedly claimed to be feeling dehydrated after spending the day with ...

Florida shooting suspect's 'reign of terror' ends in deadly gunfight, sheriff says: 'Sounds like a movie plot'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was killed in a deadly shootout in Tampa early Saturday morning after a crime spree that "spanned several counties" in Florida, according to authorities."What we are about to describe this [morning] sounds like a movie plot of some big blockbuster action movie," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "The sad reality is that everything we're about to tell you is true, and several communities were victimized by this bad guy." Stolen forklift suspect leads police on chase in downtown Los Angeles Chronister said it all began with a domestic violence situation in Hernando County that crossed into Pasco County.According to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, the victim of the domestic violence incident said she was going to Wesley Chapel to pick up her child, who was at her parent's house after the initial incident.At 2:14 a.m., the victim called the Pasco Sheriff's Office saying she arrived at her parents' home, but shortly after, the dispatcher hea...

Fleetwood Mac musician says restaurant burned in Maui wildfires: 'Main priority is the safety of our dear staff'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:24 GMT

(The Hill) – Fleetwood Mac co-founder Mick Fleetwood said his restaurant was lost in the raging wildfires on Maui this week.His restaurant, Fleetwood’s, stood on the waterfront in Lahaina, which has been almost completely destroyed by a wildfire that has killed at least 80 people, state officials said.“This is a devastating moment for MAUl and many are suffering unimaginable loss,” Fleetwood said on Instagram. “Fleetwoods on front Street has been lost and while we are heartbroken our main priority is the safety of our dear staff and team members.”“On behalf of myself and my family I share my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the people of MAUI," he added. "We are committed to supporting the community and those affected by this disaster in the days month and years to come."Mick Fleetwood arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Fleetwood said he has lived on the island of Maui “for decades.” Can Lahaina’...