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Top 10 crime stories of 2023, from murder to Turtleboy

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

Tragedy hit early in the year with back-to-back slayings that are on a painstaking march through the court system. A mother is accused of killing her three young children; a husband is charged with dismembering his wife.The opioid epidemic and the first responders who must confront it daily were omnipresent on the news pages. When the sirens blare, the Herald goes digging. Here are the top crime and public safety stories you read the most last year:1.) Kids, ‘drugs, sex toys,’ dead man in South Boston apartment: ‘Sickening.’ Four children living in squalid conditions while being hidden from first responders were found in an apartment filled with “alcohol, drugs, sex toys” and a dead man. That was a shocking story that still reverberates today as an example of public housing neglect, lack of respect for first responders, and the politics of pointing fingers instead of fixing the problem.2.) Massachusetts State Police find body of missing Lynn man who called police from LYFT ride. Thi...

British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton,’ dies at 75

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

By SYLVIA HUI (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in “The Full Monty,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” has died, his family said. He was 75.A statement shared by his agent on behalf of the family said Wilkinson died suddenly at home on Saturday. It didn’t provide further details. Wilkinson was nominated for a best actor Academy Award for his work in 2001’s family drama “In The Bedroom” and in the best supporting actor category for his role in “Michael Clayton,” a 2007 legal thriller that starred George Clooney. He is remembered by many in Britain and beyond for playing former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in the 1997 comedy “The Full Monty,” about a group of unemployed steel workers who formed an unlikely male stripping act. Wilkinson was born in Yorkshire in northern England in 1948 and spent part of hi...

Photos: High surf impacts San Diego coastline

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- As a high surf warning remains in effect for San Diego, impacts of massive waves are being seen along the coastline.With waves up to 12 feet and sets up to 18 feet, the water in some areas has found its way upward and outward. Coastal closures in place amid high surf warning in San Diego County On Coronado Beach for instance, storm water fallout could be seen Friday in the area where Loma Boulevard meets Ocean Boulevard, as shown in the photos below:Storm water fallout is seen at Coronado Beach, where Loma Boulevard meets Ocean Boulevard, due to high tides pushed out by high surf. Photo taken on Dec. 30, 2024. (Credit: Bill Sandke - Crown City Photography)Storm water fallout is seen at Coronado Beach, where Loma Boulevard meets Ocean Boulevard, due to high tides pushed out by high surf. Photo taken on Dec. 30, 2024.The Paseo Walkway behind the Views Guest Building at the Hotel del Coronado. City officials closed public assess Saturday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Credit: Bill S...

Joint venture of arctic mining companies assisting plane crash victims

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — A joint venture between arctic mining companies says it is offering assistance to workers who were aboard a plane that crashed in the Northwest Territories earlier this week.A statement Saturday from the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road joint venture says the passengers on the Air Tindi charter flight were heading to a camp to begin construction of a winter road.The road is built each year to supply Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond Mine, Burgundy Diamonds Ekati Diamond Mine and the Gahcho Kue Diamond mine with their annual stores inventory and heavy loads.The Air Tindi Twin Otter carrying two pilots and eight passengers crashed near the Diavik Mine, about 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, on Wednesday with everyone on board surviving although they were stranded at the crash site until they could be rescued the following day.The director of winter road operations for the joint venture, Barry Henkel, says in an email that the employees worked for a contractor and ...

Family of 4 found dead in apparent murder-suicide by New York police sergeant

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A husband and wife and their two sons, ages 10 and 12, were found dead in a suburban New York home Saturday in what authorities described as a murder-suicide by a police sergeant.Police officials said Watson Morgan, a sergeant with the Bronxville Police Department, fatally shot his wife, Ornela Morgan, 43, and their sons before taking his own life.The four bodies were discovered by police just after midnight on Friday at the family’s home in New City, a suburb of New York City, after Morgan failed to show up for his evening shift at the Bronxville Police Department. “At this phase in the investigation it is believed that Watson killed his wife and two children, prior to killing himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Clarkstown Police Department said.All four had gunshot wounds, police said. A handgun was recovered at the scene.Watson, 49, began his career with the New York Police Department in 2000 before joining the force in Bronxville, a village in Westc...

Challenging month for Canadian food banks amid holidays, rising demand

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

MONTREAL — The directors of two Canadian food bank associations say rising demand all year, coupled with a regular spike in users during the holiday season, have put particular pressure on their networks this month.Food Banks of Quebec executive director Martin Munger says food bank stocks are low in the province after the organization distributed tens of thousands of food baskets ahead of Christmas.Munger says his network saw a 30 per cent increase in users in 2023 compared to last year and distributed double the number of aid packages it handed out in 2019.Food Banks Alberta executive director Shawna Bissell says the province is facing a similar situation after noting increases in need every month this year.She says demand for assistance is so high that her network isn’t able to build up food reserves.But both Munger and Bissell say they expect to be able to continue to meet demand without turning people away.

Ex-Florida QB Jalen Kitna is headed to UAB after serving probation

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna is heading to UAB in an attempt to resurrect his football career.Kitna has been admitted to UAB after serving six months of probation as part of a plea deal that included dismissal of five felony child pornography charges. Kitna received six months of probation in July after pleading guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct, second-degree misdemeanors.Kitna, the son of retired NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, is set to play for former NFL quarterback and current Blazers coach Trent Dilfer.“I am grateful for the opportunity to enroll at UAB and be a part of Coach Dilfer’s football program,” Kitna said in a statement. “Moreover, I am deeply appreciative of my parents’ unwavering support and guidance. Rest assured, I am fully committed to exemplifying the qualities of a model citizen and student athlete.”Dilfer said UAB and the athletic department “have performed extensive due diligence” on Kitna. Florida dismissed ...

$777,777 winning scratch-off ticket sold at Chicago gas station

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

CHICAGO — An Illinois Lottery player is getting ready to ring in the new year with a little extra cash in their pocket after they hit it big on a new $10 scratch-off ticket. According to the Illinois Lottery, the big winner snagged one of only three $777,777 prizes on a scratch-off ticket that launched in early December.  Illinois Lottery: Stories of millionaires made overnight The new "777 Jackpot" is a $10 dollar scratch-off game that offers players the chance to win up to $777,777, but plenty of smaller prizes are also up for grabs.Lottery officials released details about the big win on Saturday but did not disclose the name of the winner. String of burglaries in Hyde Park prompts warning from Chicago police The lucky player isn't the only person taking home a little extra cash. The winning ticket was sold at a BP gas station in the 4300 block of State Street in Chicago and the gas station will receive a selling bonus of $7,777, equal to one percent of the prize amount.&...

Colorado secretary of state receives death threats: 'I will not be intimidated'

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

(The Hill) — Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) said she received death threats in the wake of the lawsuit that was filed in her state that eventually led to former President Trump being kicked off the ballot in her state.“Within three weeks of the lawsuit being filed, I received 64 death threats. I stopped counting after that,” Griswold said on X Saturday, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I will not be intimidated. Democracy and peace will triumph over tyranny and violence.”Griswold also linked to a HuffPost article from last week in which she discussed her fears about violence on behalf of the former president. In the article, she also noted that it wasn’t her that filed the lawsuit, but a watchdog organization named Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Griswold recently praised her Maine counterpart, Shenna Bellows (D), for her decision to kick Trump off of the ballot in the Pine Tree State Thursday under the 14th Amendment.“I do th...

70s to end the year with two storms to start 2024

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:26:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures warmed up to near 70º today thanks to a southerly wind.Tonight will still be chilly, but not as cold as recent nights. Overnight lows will drop into the mid 30s in the Hill Country with lows near 40 in Austin under a clear sky.Sunday should be even warmer with highs in the low 70s ahead of a cold front that doesn't arrive until early Monday morning. Plan on mostly sunny skies for the last day of 2023!Sunday's forecastRinging in the New Year should be cool, but not cold. The later arrival of our next cold front means temperature should still be in the 50s at midnight with a partly cloudy sky.New Year's Eve at midnightMonday's early morning cold front will bring a chilly breeze for New Year's Day. Highs will be knocked down into the 50s, but we'll still have more sunshine than clouds.New Year's Day ForecastThe first of two storm systems arrives on Tuesday bringing widespread rain during the afternoon and evening. Some isolated thunderstorms are possible t...