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Police identify Massachusetts woman killed in shark attack in Bahamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

Authorities have identified the Massachusetts woman killed in a shark attack in the Bahamas Monday as 44-year-old Lauren Erickson Van Wart.The Royal Bahamas Police Public Affairs and Communications Department announced the identification in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Police investigations are ongoing,” the department said. Van Wart had been paddleboarding off New Providence Island near a resort where she was staying when she was attacked around 11 a.m. Monday, officials said.Police on Monday said a lifeguard in a rescue boat pulled Van Wart and a man she was paddleboarding with out of the water. While the man was not injured, according to police, Van Wart later died.New Providence Island is home to the Bahamas’ capital, Nassau.

Authorities investigating after 2 firearms, knife found outside school in Jamaica Plain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

An investigation got underway Tuesday after two firearms and a knife were found outside a school in Jamaica Plain, school officials said. Community Academy Head of School Sonie Felix in a letter to the school community said school staff found the weapons during a routine sweep of school grounds.“No students or staff were injured and it is not clear when or by whom the weapons were left on school grounds,” Felix said. Felix said staff immediately notified Boston police and the school was placed in safe mode “to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”Officials later lifted the safe mode protocol after authorities searched the school and determined there was no further threat, according to Felix.“I am grateful to the members of school staff who conducted the initial search and immediately reported these weapons to school leadership,” Felix said.“As you know, the Community Academy, like all schools in the Boston Public Schools, focuses on fostering a safe environment for...

Red Sox linked to struggling starter who could be perfect project for Andrew Bailey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

Lucas Giolito is “drawing interest” from the Red Sox, reported MLB Network’s Jon Morosi on Tuesday.The 29-year-old right-hander would be an interesting project for Andrew Bailey, the former Red Sox reliever who just returned to be their new pitching coach.Giolito, 29, split the 2023 season between the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians. Despite the tumult of a three-team season, he made 33 starts – tied for the American League lead – and a career-high 184 1/3 innings pitched.Not long ago, the right-hander was one of the game’s most dominant pitchers. Between 2019-21, he posted a 3.47 ERA across 72 starts (427 2/3 IP), and finished between sixth and eleventh in AL Cy Young voting each season.However, while Giolito continues to be durable, he hasn’t been as dominant since. Over the last two seasons, he posted a 4.89 ERA across 63 starts (346 IP), and gave up a career- and league-worst 41 home runs this year. After striking out ...

Draft lottery yields No. 12 pick for Red Sox

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

As one of the 18 teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason, the Red Sox were eligible for Major League Baseball’s new draft lottery system once again.Last December, the first lottery yielded the No. 14 pick, which the Red Sox used to draft Kyle Teel, the most decorated catcher in the University of Virginia’s program history.On Tuesday evening, they emerged in an even better position:No. 12.It will be the fifth No. 12 pick in franchise history, and first since 2016, when they selected Jay Groome. Adam Everett (’98), Nomar Garciaparra (’94), and Tom Fischer (’88) were the others.Since the draft began in 1965, the Red Sox have only had a better pick seven times, including thrice since 2013. They drafted shortstop Marcelo Mayer fourth overall in 2021, and seventh in 2015 (OF Andrew Benintendi) and 2013 (LHP Trey Ball).The lottery yielded a historic moment, too. The Cleveland Guardians beat the odds – 2.0%, ninth-best – to get the first overall pick...

Sen. Durant backs Dudley selectman to serve in his old Central Mass. House seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

Sen. Peter Durant said Tuesday he is backing a Dudley selectman looking to run for a Central Massachusetts House seat last held by the Spencer Republican, who won a special election last month for a Senate district in the area.A special election has not yet been called for the House seat, but two contenders — Dudley Selectman John Marsi and Southbridge Town Councilor David Adams, both Republicans — have indicated they are ready to run if one is scheduled, according to state campaign finance filings. The seat covers Dudley, Charlton, Southbridge, and Spencer.Marsi said he has served on the Dudley Board of Selectmen for 12 years, giving him a “pretty good pulse” on the issues in the district. He said he wants to focus on economic development, public safety, and quality of life.“But to be more clear about what that means for a state rep run, it’s public safety, its affordability, which encompasses economic development, and local aid and stuff, and education,” he told ...

As the Chicago Cubs wait for the Shohei Ohtani-sized domino to fall, GM Carter Hawkins focuses on preparation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

Big moves appear to be on hold until superstar Shohei Ohtani chooses his next team.As MLB’s annual winter meetings got underway this week, the Chicago Cubs are charting a challenging course: mapping potential avenues to improve the roster while waiting for the Ohtani-sized domino to fall.General manager Carter Hawkins redirected when asked Monday evening about the team’s interest in Ohtani, saying, “we prefer not to talk about any specific players” while adding that the overall market has felt slower. In the meantime, the Cubs are plotting are variety of options they can pivot as needed.“Trying to create this perfect offseason where A is going to happen and then B is going to happen and C is going to happen and D is going to happen, it’s way too complex of a challenge to do that,” Hawkins said. “Instead, you have to be able to look at each transaction and say, ‘hey, this makes sense for us in terms of our goals toward winning mor...

Coyote euthanized in Massachusetts after the wild animal was ‘acting abnormally’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

A coyote was euthanized in a Norfolk County community after the wild animal was reportedly “out in the daylight acting abnormally,” according to police.Plainville officials are now warning residents about coyotes and how to prevent conflicts with the animals following some sightings throughout town.Recently, Plainville police officers responded to a report of “a coyote out in the daylight acting abnormally,” town officials said on Tuesday.“It was determined to be a public safety risk and officers humanely euthanized the coyote on-scene,” town officials added.Aggressive coyotes have been reported in several Bay State communities in recent years, including in Nahant and Salem north of Boston. In Nahant, the town hired federal agent sharpshooters to kill aggressive coyotes.Following the recent coyote sightings and incident in Plainville, town officials are sharing safety tips from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and MassWildlife on how ...

Trump will dodge debate for fourth time, four others qualify

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

Some Republican presidential candidates will again meet for a debate Wednesday, and for the fourth time in a row the party’s leading candidate has other plans for the evening.Of the other candidates only four remain who qualified to mount the debate stage, as the Republican National Committee tightens requirements in an effort to narrow a once crowded primary field.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will join former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy after meeting the requirements of 6% support in two national polls or 6% in one national poll as well as two polls from Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina.According to DeSantis’s campaign, he’s coming off a recent debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom energized and ready to present himself as an alternative to Trump, who leads him by more than 40 points.“We are now eager to go back to the primary and remind Republicans why Ron DeSantis is the only one on stage ...

Massachusetts brothers arrested after illegally killing deer and fox: State Police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

Two brothers are accused of illegally killing a deer and fox, as State Police look into whether the pair are responsible for past poaching incidents in the region.Worthington man Ira Doull, 46, and Colrain man Seth Doull, 51, are now facing several gun charges and MassWildlife violations after they were arrested in western Massachusetts over the weekend.Mass State Police troopers and Massachusetts Environmental Police officers on Saturday responded to a report that a deer in front of a Colrain home had been fatally shot by someone inside a gray Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.A responding trooper stopped the pickup, and saw two men along with many unsecured firearms in the Tacoma.Troopers and officers found a loaded .22 caliber rifle, another rifle, two shotguns, a loaded handgun, four muzzleloaders, and four thermal scopes for seeing targets at night.They also found an illegally killed gray fox with gunshot wounds to its body and apparent blunt trauma to its head.Police also examined th...

Massachusetts State Police trooper who died suddenly made the world ‘a better place’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:14 GMT

The 41-year-old statie who recently died suddenly is being remembered as making the world “a better place,” as funeral details have been announced for the late sergeant.Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Gregory Furtado passed away last week, leaving behind his wife and two kids.Furtado graduated from the Massachusetts State Police Academy in 2006, and he later joined the State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands. Earlier this year, he became a detective sergeant with the Narcotics Unit of the Cape and Islands district.“We are heartbroken for Sergeant Furtado’s wife and children; they are in our prayers,” Mass State Police posted. “Our thoughts, also, are with Sergeant Furtado’s brother and sister Troopers. May the memories of him, and of his life of service, sustain all who loved and knew him in the difficult days and weeks to come.”Furtado was a graduate of Plymouth North High School and St. Anselm College, where he played ho...