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Pedestrian struck, killed by transit bus in Haverhill

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

A pedestrian died Wednesday after being hit by a transit bus in Haverhill, officials said. A state Department of Transportation spokesperson in a statement said the crash happened around 8:40 a.m. on the grounds of Northern Essex Community College near a Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) bus stop. The victim, described as a male pedestrian, was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. An investigation got underway and was ongoing Wednesday night, officials said.“In our business, this is the biggest nightmare, the thing that everyone fears,” said MVRTA Administrator and CEO Noah Berger. Berger said the bus involved in this crash had just made its stop at Northern Essex Community College and was pulling away.The man who died, Berger said, was known to the driver and was a familiar face on the route. “This is what makes it that much more devastating,” he said. “In public transportation, you build camaraderie almost like family,”...

Former President Trump’s Republican rivals come to his defense after Colorado Supreme Court ruling

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

(CNN) — Donald Trump’s rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination largely closed ranks around the former president, adding to the broad GOP criticism of the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that he cannot appear on the state’s primary ballot next year.However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who lambasted the Colorado decision — also used the ruling to call into question whether Trump can win next year, arguing Wednesday morning that nominating the former president would make the 2024 election about “all this legal stuff.”The responses from Trump’s rivals show the balancing act they face just weeks from the first votes being cast in the GOP nominating contest. Trump’s continued popularity with the party’s base, despite his ongoing legal troubles, means they must defend him while also making their own case that it’s time for the party to move on.DeSantis, campaigning in Urbandale, Iowa, described the Colorado ruling as a Democratic plot to “solidify support in the primary” for Trump because,...

How much rainfall is expected in San Diego County with Pacific storm

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO — The first significant storm of the winter season is starting to pass over Southern California, but new models for what conditions it may bring to San Diego are a little drier than initially anticipated.As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, forecasters with the National Weather Service are projecting the most widespread impacts of the Pacific storm headed towards San Diego County will hit Thursday evening, with some stray showers possible Wednesday night into the morning.The main target for the storm Wednesday into Thursday remains California's central coast, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.By Thursday night into Friday, the storm is expected to directly hit San Diego County, bringing widespread rain, wind and possible thunderstorms.Current models project that mountain and coastal areas are likely to see the most rain from the storm, ranging from about one to two inches. According to NWS, inland valley neighborhoods could see about 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rai...

Bus crash kills player, assistant coach in Algerian soccer’s top league, matches postponed

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — The Algerian Football Federation said late Wednesday that a bus crash has killed two members of its Ligue 1 side Mouloudia El Bayadh and that it would postpone all games scheduled for this week.The federation said the accident killed El Bayadh reserve goalkeeper Zakaria Bouziani, 27, and assistant coach Khalid Muftah. Bouziani made two league appearances this season.“It is with immense sadness that the president of the Algerian Football Federation, Walid Sadia . . . learned of the tragic road accident which left the club in mourning. MC El-Bayadh, playing in professional Ligue 1 Mobilis, and which led to the death of two members of this club,” the federation said in a statement translated from French.Local media said the bus carrying the team overturned in the town of Sougueur in northwestern Algeria on the way to Tizi Ouzou to play JSK Kabylie in a league game on Friday. The club said on social media that other injured team members were in stable condition.“...

Oregon appeals court finds the rules for the state’s climate program are invalid

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A state appeals court in Oregon decided late Wednesday that the rules for a program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies are invalid. The program, started in 2022, is one of the strongest climate programs in the nation. State environmental officials said the court’s decision hinges on an administrative error and doesn’t touch on whether the state Department of Environmental Quality has the authority to implement the program. The Climate Protection Program targets a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and natural gas by 2050. Wednesday’s decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals comes in a case brought by fossil fuel companies that alleged the state Environmental Quality Commission erred in its rulemaking for the program. The commission acts as the Department of Environmental Quality’s policy and rulemaking board.The court in its decision said it concluded the rules...

Officer, security guards injured in Scarborough smash-and-grab robbery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

Police are searching for two suspects following a brazen smash-and-grab robbery in Scarborough.Investigators say two suspects used hammers to smash display cases and grab products at a jewelry store at Scarborough Town Centre in the area of Progress Avenue and Borough Drive just after 7 p.m. on Wednesday. An off-duty police officer and security guards pursued the suspects but were “pepper sprayed” as they fled the scene in a small white sedan.The first suspect is described as a male with short hair. He was last seen wearing a blue medical mask, a black jacket and pants. The second suspect is described as a male in his early 20s with a slim build. He was last seen wearing black pants, white shoes and orange gloves.

Travis County judge orders Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify in whistleblower case

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — A Travis County judge has ordered Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify under oath in a three-year-old wrongful termination lawsuit from his former top deputies.Judge Jan Soifer ordered Wednesday that Paxton and three other top aides in the Office of Attorney General must sit in deposition, sworn testimony that Paxton has sought to avoid for years. Soifer ruled from the bench after a two-hour hearing in Austin. Along with Paxton, she is compelling deposition from Brent Webster, the first assistant attorney general; Lesley French Henneke, chief of staff at the agency; and Michelle Smith, Paxton’s longtime political advisor.Bill Helfand — outside counsel hired to represent the state — did not answer reporters' questions after the hearing about if they plan to appeal this order. But Tom Nesbitt, a lawyer for one of the whistleblowers, said he expected the OAG to try and fight Paxton's deposition. "This isn't some earth shattering thing. This is what ha...

Mayo Clinic gives $10M to Rochester Public Schools, averting immediate budget crisis

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Rochester Public Schools received a $10 million donation from Mayo Clinic on Wednesday, erasing the district’s remaining budget cuts and paving the way for it to reverse course on many of the sweeping plans that would have redrawn the face of several of the city’s schools.During a press conference announcing the donation, Mayo Clinic chief communications officer Halena Gazelka referred to the donation as a “bridge” for the district to “achieve greater financial sustainability.”While the donation helps immediate funding issues for the district, RPS Superintendent Kent Pekel said the district will pursue another levy request in 2024 to put the district “on the path to financial stability” for years to come.“If we do not succeed in asking our community to increase their targeted investment in Rochester Public Schools, we will be back here a year from now,” Pekel said. “(The referendum) is indispensable.”Pekel called the donation an “extraordinary gi...

Local broadcasts for Blues, 10 other NHL teams will remain on Bally Sports after agreement

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

The NHL and Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, have reached an agreement that will keep local broadcasts for 11 teams on Bally Sports through the end of this season.The agreement, which was contained in a court filing made Wednesday, is subject to court approval. Diamond Sports has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Southern District of Texas since it filed for protection in March. The company said in a financial filing last year that it had debt of $8.67 billion.While there will be a reduction in rights payments for some teams, the local rights for those 11 franchises will revert back to the NHL at the end of this season. The agreement provides stability for fans, networks and teams after Major League Baseball had to take over the broadcasts of San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks games last season after agreements could not be reached.The NHL teams that are currently on Bally are: Anaheim, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Fl...

Colorado’s Trump ruling sets off political firestorm, raising legal stakes and putting state at center of debate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:35:10 GMT

The Colorado Supreme Court ignited a political firestorm with its ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to hold office again, disqualifying him from appearing on the state’s primary ballot.Just how far those embers reach — and how hot they burn — in coming weeks could shape the country’s political discourse and electoral system.The U.S. Supreme Court will almost certainly weigh in on Tuesday’s ruling, which found Trump committed insurrection with his actions around the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, and is thus barred from office under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The decision has the Colorado Republican Party threatening to change how it weighs in on the party’s presidential nominee.And the unprecedented ruling — after several other states’ courts have dismissed similar ballot challenges of Trump — was immediately dissected or torn apart by political candidates, Trump supporters and opponents, legal analysts, Colora...