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Wally Seaver HS Invitational: Waltham falls to Rhode Island team in final

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

STOUGHTON – When Wally Seaver passed away about 11 years ago, he had already left the Massachusetts basketball world a better place. During his courageous bout with ALS, his son Paul and the rest of his family decided to dedicate a hoops tournament in his honor, and the legend himself was able to witness the loving fruits of their labor first come to fruition during its initial running.One would have to think he is looking down proudly on just how vast the foundation has grown. The 12th annual Wally Seaver HS Invitational came to its conclusion Sunday, and a case could be made it was one of the greatest installments. During a two-day competition split between two facilities, upwards of 130 schools from around the Northeast region took part, all looking to play the sport they truly love for a greater cause.“This is near and dear to Paul (Seaver),” said fellow Wally Seaver Invitational founder Greg Lewis. “As his wife would tell you, Paul’s job now is to work with ALS associations. Th...

Cardinals trade ex-Yankees pitcher Jordan Montgomery to Rangers, Jordan Hicks sent to Blue Jays: reports

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

The St. Louis Cardinals are unloading valuable arms ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.The Cardinals traded former Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers, according to reports. St. Louis will also send right-hander Chris Stratton to Texas. In return, the Cardinals will reportedly receive two top 30 prospects — right-hander Tekoah Roby and infielder Thomas Saggese — and left-hander John King.The moves come a day after the Rangers acquired ace Max Scherzer from the Mets in exchange for minor-league middle infielder Luisangel Acuna, who is the 21-year-old brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. and one of the Rangers’ top prospects.The Cardinals also sent reliever Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, according to reports. In return, the Blue Jays traded minor league right-handers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. Hicks landing in Toronto strengthens a bullpen that recently lost closer Jordan Romano. Romano landed on the...

Wally Seaver HS Invitational: Franklin boys top North Andover for title

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

FOXBORO – Leave it to a good cause to produce a poetic victory.With another showing of growth and evolution since the original Wally Seaver HS Invitational boasted 16 basketball teams in the spirit of fundraising to fight ALS, the 12th annual edition wrapped up Sunday night having hosted over 120 teams from six different states between two facilities. But as the level of competition raised to an all-time high with more juggernaut programs joining in, it was a program that’s just one of four to play in all 12 invitationals that would win the title in this year’s top bracket.Behind 17 points from Boston Herald All-Scholastic Sean O’Leary, the Franklin boys surged past newcomer North Andover to win its first Blue Division title, 62-55, at Mass Premier Courts.Considering Seaver coached the Panthers for a decade in the 1990s before moving on to other opportunities, and eventually passing from ALS, it was only fitting the Franklin junior varsity team won the Gold Division.“It’s real...

Robert Kraft, Meek Mill speak at NAACP National Convention in Boston

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Grammy-nominated rapper and activist Meek Mill headlined a panel conversation at the NAACP National Convention in Boston on Sunday.The speakers during the conversation called, “Hate Has No Home Here,” discussed fighting back against racism and anti-Semitism.Kraft is the founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, and he advocated for Mill’s release from prison.Other speakers on Sunday’s panel included NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, and Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates.Gov. Maura Healey also spoke at the convention on Sunday.Recording artist Meek Mill speaks at the NAACP convention. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates speaks at the convention. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)Gov. Maura Healey speaks at the NAACP convention on Sunday. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)

Union open to negotiating in B.C. port dispute as more federal involvement looms

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

The union representing about 7,400 workers in the ongoing British Columbia port labour dispute has issued a letter to employers, outlining what it is looking for in a new collective agreement while saying it is committed to negotiating a resolution.The letter comes a day after federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan announced he is directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine if a negotiated deal is still possible in the dispute and, if not, to impose an agreement or final binding arbitration on the two sides.International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada President Rob Ashton says in the letter that the workers “look forward to resuming discussions and finding common ground for the betterment of the Canadian supply chain and the livelihoods of its workforce.”Ashton says, however, that while a deal voted down by union members Friday included “progress… in addressing certain workforce-related matters,” it did not provide protectio...

Off-duty Chicago firefighter who died while swimming with his family in Lake Michigan ID'd

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

CHICAGO — An off-duty Chicago firefighter died Sunday morning while swimming with his family in Lake Michigan after finishing a shift.According to the Chicago Fire Department, emergency personnel were called to help and they found him underwater. Woman killed, 8 others injured in shooting at party in North Lawndale overnight He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he died.The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the firefighter as 43-year-old Wilbur Hayes."The loss of any of our members is a loss for the first responder community and the city as a whole," Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said in a statement. A full investigation is being conducted into his death, Nance-Holt said.Hayes started working for CFD in 2008.

CPD searching for endangered, missing elderly woman from Portage Park

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department is looking for the public's help in finding an elderly woman who went missing from the Portage Park neighborhood early Sunday morning.83-year-old Jean Manzella, missing from the Portage Park neighborhood, according to CPD.Police said 83-year-old Jean Manzella was last seen in the 5100 block of West Roscoe Street around 3 a.m., and is considered endangered.Manzella was last seen wearing a black coat with a yellow top and yellow bottoms. She is described as being around five feet tall and weighing around 110 pounds with brown eyes and blonde, shoulder-length hair.If you or someone you know has information that can help police find Manzella, CPD encourages you to reach out to Area Five SVU detectives at 312-746-6554.

Mystery group buying land near Air Force base is suing farmers, congressman says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

(NewsNation) — While questions remain about a mystery company buying 52,000 acres of land near an Air Force base, a congressman says farmers in the area are being targeted in a lawsuit.Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., has been speaking out over the past five years about the $800 million in land acquisitions by Flannery Associates near Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. In an interview with NewsNation, Garamendi said he’s been in contact with the families of farmers who handed over their land to Flannery. He said they didn’t want to sell in the first place. Since no California laws require them to sell, the land was bargained for by both parties at a much higher price. But now, Flannery is suing those families for $510 million, accusing them of conspiring together to inflate the value of the land. UK reviewing Ozempic over suicide, self-harm risk: Report “It’s a suit designed to force the farmers to lawyer up, spend tens of thousands of dollars on lawyering and maybe at th...

Joe Biden, the oldest sitting president, needs young voters. Will his age matter?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

At 24, Alberto Rodriguez has grandparents younger than Joe Biden. But he's more interested in the 80-year-old president's accomplishments than his age.“People as young as me, we're all focusing on our day-to-day lives and he has done things to help us through that," Rodriguez, a cook at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, said of Biden's support among young voters. Rodriguez pointed specifically to federal COVID-19 relief payments and government spending increases on infrastructure and other social programs.Voters like him were a key piece of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition, which included majorities of young people as well as college graduates, women, urban and suburban voters and Black Americans. Maintaining their support will be critical in closely contested states such as Nevada, where even small declines could prove consequential to Biden's reelection bid.His 2024 campaign plans to emphasize messages that could espe...

Texas will soon eliminate sales tax on diapers, menstrual care

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:50:12 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — After years of unsuccessful attempts, Texas will soon no longer collect sales tax on essential baby products like diapers and wipes, as well as menstrual products starting on Sept. 1. Texas passes tax exemption on diapers, menstrual products and bandages Longtime advocates like the Austin Diaper Bank say it will make certain healthcare necessities more accesible for low-income Texans. The nonprofit provides nearly 200,000 diapers per month to families, helping around 35,000 families a year. Executive Director Holly McDaniel expressed said she was "thrilled" when the bill finally passed."For families who are living in poverty or have low incomes, diapers can be really expensive. And so a lot of times they'll reuse diapers, they'll use other things in place of a diaper. And we don't want families to do that," McDaniel said. Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, had introduced this bill in four consecutive legislative sessions. She attributes the nearly $33 billion budget ...