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BPS introduces Shaw-Taylor and Sumner-Philbrick merger proposals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

BPS has released official proposals for the first two of a series of controversial mergers addressing an enrollment plunge and structural changes in upcoming years — forging ahead as parent and community pushback continues.“These are not the only merger proposals that will come before this body in the years to come,” Superintendent Mary Skipper said ahead of the proposal presentation at the school committee Wednesday. “I think we’ve spoken about the declining enrollment. And we’ve spoken about the need to roll out inclusion. So there’ll be much driving in the years to come, us looking at how we can through mergers, and sometimes closures, start to right-size our system.”The proposals, which will likely come up for committee vote in May, outline plans to combine the Pauline A. Shaw Elementary School and Charles H. Taylor Elementary School in Dorchester and Charles Sumner Elementary School and John D. Philbrick Elementary School in Rosli...

MBTA needs ‘all hands on deck,’ board chief says of remote boss revelations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

A former MBTA executive and the current head of its budget review agency says revelations that some system managers are living far away from the hundreds of cities and towns serviced by the T does not adequately reflect the response the network requires from its leaders.“A place like the MBTA, where things are clearly not working well, it really needs to be all hands on deck all the time, in person, especially on construction projects and especially out in places like Springfield where they’re making those new Red and Orange line cars that we know are not working properly,” MBTA Advisory Board executive director Brian Kane said.Kane, speaking with WBZ’s Jon Keller for the political analyst’s recurring Sunday segment, said news that several MBTA managers involved in capital improvement projects — all making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year — were on the state payroll despite living nowhere near the construction they were responsible for managing, isn’t necessarily a surprise...

A Shot For Life: First football event scores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

NEEDHAM — At St. Sebastian’s for Sunday’s A Shot For Life Bowl, the organization’s first football event, it was cold, and it was wet. But it was also fun.Lots, and lots of fun.That was the main takeaway for both event organizers and players who took part in the four-team 7-on-7 tournament. Sure, the weather was rainy, but the competition was a blast, and the event was a success.All told, $47,000 was raised for the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Cancer Center.“It’s super fun,” A Shot For Life CEO Mike Slonina said. “All of our players are building off of what our players did before them. If basketball wasn’t successful, we can’t do baseball. If baseball wasn’t successful, we can’t do soccer. If that’s not successful, we can’t do football. These guys, what they’re doing here today is going to live on for a very long time. Half these guys will be back. All underclassmen are welcome back. So it&#...

Tim Bachman, founding member of BTO, dies at 71

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

A founding member of the Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Tim Bachman, has died at the age of 71.Randy Bachman confirmed the death of his brother through his manager on Sunday.Tim Bachman’s son, Paxton Bachman, posted on Facebook that his father died Friday, explaining that he got a call last week from the care home where his father was staying, telling him that his dad’s condition had worsened and that later tests revealed cancer throughout his brain.Ryder Bachman Facebook postThe Winnipeg-based BTO released its first album in May 1973 and the band’s second album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, released in December 1973, became a huge hit in the U.S. and Canada, with hit singles “Let it Ride” and “Takin’ Care of Business.”Tim Bachman, who played guitar and sang, left BTO in 1974 but had rejoined BTO for tours over the years.His death follows that of his brother Robbie Bachman, another co-founder of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, in January a...

North York restaurant manager facing sexual assault charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

Police have arrested and charged a North York restaurant manager as part of a sexual assault investigation. Police say they were made aware on Saturday of an assault at a restaurant in the area of Dufferin Street and Steeles Avenue West. Investigators say between May 1, 2022, and April 28, 2023, two female victims claimed they were being sexually assaulted by the manager at the establishment. The police did not release the name of the restaurant. Amir Keshavarzi, 55, of Toronto, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault and uttering threats.Police have released his photo as they believe there may be more victims.

Pope speaks of secret peace ‘mission,’ help for Ukraine kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday revealed that a secret peace “mission” in Russia’s war in Ukraine was under way, though he gave no details, and said the Vatican is willing to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war.“I’m available to do anything,” Francis said during an airborne press conference en route home from Hungary. “There’s a mission that’s not public that’s underway; when it’s public I’ll talk about it.”Francis gave no details when asked whether he spoke about peace initiatives during his talks in Budapest this weekend with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban or the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary.Deportations of Ukrainian children have been a concern since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Francis said the Holy See had already helped mediate some prisoner exchanges and would do “all that is humanly possible” to reunite families.“All human gestures help. Gestures of cruelty don’t he...

Texas baseball player hit by gunfire during game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) - A baseball player with Texas A&M University-Texarkana was hospitalized after being struck by a stray bullet during a game Saturday evening.Texarkana Texas Police said officers were called to a shooting in a neighborhood near Spring Lake Park Saturday evening. A short time later, officers were called to the park for a baseball player that may have been shot. When officers arrived at George Dobson Field, they learned the 18-year-old player was standing in the bullpen when a stray bullet struck him. ‘Zero leads’: Reward offered in search for Texas mass shooting suspect "The shots came from a neighborhood to the west of Spring Lake Park and was the result of some type of disturbance that happened there," Shawn Vaughn, the department's public information officer, explained. "The bullet traveled travel several hundred feet and struck the victim as he was standing near the bullpen area of the ball field in the park. He was not targeted nor was the shoo...

Pitching, defense lead Longhorns to much-needed series win over TCU

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAN) — A double play with an outfield assist for the final two outs secured a 3-2 win for the Texas Longhorns and a big series win on the road Sunday against TCU.Texas followed up an 8-4 win on Saturday with the series clincher and can now go for a road sweep of the Horned Frogs on Monday. The series was moved back a day due to severe weather in the Fort Worth area Friday.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersThe game's final play heavily featured Texas left fielder Porter Brown who transferred from TCU before the season began. Brown charged in from a medium-depth position in left field to catch a Logan Maxwell fly ball for the second out of the inning. TCU catcher Karson Bowen tagged up at third base and tried to score the tying run, and while Brown's throw wasn't perfect, it didn't need to be. Texas catcher Garret Guillemette caught it left of home plat...

9 injured, 2 critically after multi-vehicle crash in San Bernardino

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

Nine people were injured, two of them critically, after a multi-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in San Bernardino, authorities said.  First responders with the San Bernardino County Fire Department responded to calls about the crash near the intersection of Del Rosa and Highland avenues just after 2:30 p.m. At the scene, firefighters found seven vehicles, many of them with severe damage, had been involved in the accident. Several of the victims had to be extricated from their vehicles, San Bernardino fire authorities told KTLA.  Two people that suffered critical injuries were rushed to a nearby trauma center. Seven other people suffered moderate injuries, some of whom were also taken to the hospital as a precaution.  Firefighters on the scene of a seven-car crash that injured nine people, two critically, in San Bernardino April 30, 2023. (KeyNews TV)Firefighters on the scene of a seven-car crash that injured nine people, two critically, in San Bernardino April 30, 2023...

Woman shot near Lakewood Walmart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:49:09 GMT

A woman in her 20s was shot in Lakewood Sunday morning, authorities said.  The incident occurred at a Walmart located at 2770 Carson Street around 11 a.m., according to officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  It is unclear what may have led up to the shooting and whether it happened inside or outside of the store. Video of the scene showed a large presence of first responders in the parking lot, where a portion of the area had been cordoned off with crime-scene tape while authorities investigated.  Authorities respond to a shooting in the parking lot of a Lakewood Walmart April 30, 2023. (Citizen app)Authorities respond to a shooting in the parking lot of a Lakewood Walmart April 30, 2023. (Citizen app)The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a nearby trauma center by paramedics with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  The shooting is under investigation. Authorities with LASD’s Lakewood Station did not provide any de...