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Crack in North Carolina roller coaster may have formed 6-10 days before closure, commissioner says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An ongoing investigation by North Carolina’s Department of Labor found that a large crack in the support column of a towering roller coaster had been visible for at least a week before the amusement park shut it down for repairs.“It looks like maybe six to 10 days prior, some pictures had been taken that shows the beginning of the crack, and then by obviously last Friday, the thing was completely severed,” Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press.Charlotte-based Carowinds amusement park came under investigation this week after a video surfaced online of an operational roller coaster with a large crack in one of its columns. The footage of Fury 325, known as a “giga coaster” due to its dramatic height of 325 feet (99 meters), showed a key support beam bending with the top visibly detached as cars packed with unsuspecting passengers barreled by at speeds of up to 95 mph (150 kph).Carowinds, which straddles th...

Families of Parkland shooting victims grieve loved ones during 3rd day of 1200 building visits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

More relatives of victims of the Parkland massacre went inside the building that became a crime scene. The pain of the past is still visible five years after the tragedy.Speaking with 7News on Friday, Debbi Hixon shared what she felt when she walked the halls of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.“You just feel how terrified they had to have been in that building, and then to get to the spot where Chris was, and it hit me,” said Debbi Hixon. “That’s where our life together ended, and so, you know, it’s a lot to process, and you just wonder, how did we get here?”Debbi lost her husband, Chris Hixon, in the mass shooting.“Five and a half years later, I think I still wait for him to come home,” she said, “and it was really kind of a reality slap that that’s not going to happen.”Chris, an athletics director and coach at MSD, confronted the shooter and was one of 17 people killed.“Seeing the puddles of blood, where people had been shot or had died in those spaces...

Son of Haverhill mayor accused of making inappropriate comments to female high school students

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

A Haverhill foreign language teacher accused of making sexually inappropriate comments to female students at Haverhill High School appeared in court Friday.39-year-old James Fiorentini, the son of Haverhill Mayor Jim Fiorentini, pleaded not guilty to two counts of accosting or annoying another person, both misdemeanors. The mayor was seen in court supporting his son.Court documents show Haverhill police were first notified of the alleged inappropriate language in May. One of the victims told police Fiorentini would ask her sexually-charged questions and share graphic details of his sex life during class. Another victim claimed he would try to look down her shirt and up her skirt, and that she was afraid to be left alone with him.In a statement, Haverhill’s superintendent said they placed Fiorentini on administrative leave as soon as they learned of these allegations.“The school system is working with legal counsel, and the court system to review the outcome of today’s arraignme...

Ticker: Yellen and China’s No. 2 aim for improved communication; Fire that killed 2 aboard a cargo ship to burn for days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Premier Li Qiang expressed hopes Friday for better communication as Yellen appealed to Beijing not to let frustration over U.S. curbs on technology exports disrupt economic cooperation.Both governments used positive terms to describe Yellen’s visit to China’s capital, which was aimed at improving strained relations, and stressed the importance of U.S.-China economic ties.Yellen and Li announced no new plans for more high-level meetings to revive contacts that disputes over technology, security and other irritants have disrupted. Yet, Yellen is the latest of several senior U.S. officials traveling to Beijing to encourage Chinese leaders to revive interactions between the governments of the world’s two largest economies.Fire that killed 2 aboard a cargo ship to burn for daysA cargo ship docked at the East Coast’s biggest port smoldered for a third day and will likely burn for several more after the fire claimed t...

Sea breeze

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

The beach was the place to beat the sticky heat. Inlets, nearby bridges, rocks, they all were fine spots, too, as summer has arrived in the Bay State.Seaside temps will come close to 80 degrees Saturday and early Sunday before rain possibly moves in. Dive in while you can.Scarlett Dean 13, jumps off a rock into the cool waters on Friday in Cohasset. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)Hendrix Gustafson 15, jumps off a bridge into the water on Friday in Cohasset. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)New York transplant Ousmane Sam cools off from the hot weather at the splash fountain at the Christian Science Plaza in Boston. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)Mia Laral, 6, runs through the splash at the Christian Science Plaza. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

Wu looks to increase EV charging stations on Boston streets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

The City of Boston is looking to partner with private businesses to expand the availability of electric vehicle charging stations on public roads.The aim of two requests for proposals released this week by the city is to “bolster the number of public, curbside charging stations equitably distributed citywide” for residents who drive electric vehicles, but don’t have driveways to charge them.“With rapidly advancing technology and subsidies from federal and state sources, electric vehicles can be affordable for families looking for a cleaner, greener alternative, but we must develop the public charging infrastructure to ensure accessibility across all our communities,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.Wu added, “As we work to improve multimodal transportation access across walking, biking and public transit, we also strive to make the transition to electric vehicles possible and create jobs building the infrastructure necessary for our city.”One request is looking to test the pri...

Lack of transparency in rush to stockpile abortion pills

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

A federal judge hadn’t even ruled yet on suspending approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in April when Gov. Maura Healey orchestrated a major reserve shipment of the drug through the state’s flagship university. But despite pledges of public records transparency, any paper trail of how that response came together is still being kept locked away.The governor was quick to act, and the ink had barely dried on the judge’s decision when Healey fired off a four-page executive order aimed at preserving legal access to the abortion pill in Massachusetts.A public records response from the governor’s office offers a glimpse into some of the people looped into the development of that order. But it’s unclear how much of the mifepristone collaboration happened over email, or what other options may have been weighed, after the administration — which previously advertised that it would “follow the public records law and provide more transparency̶...

Biden takes aim at ‘junk’ insurance, vowing to save money for consumers being played as ‘suckers’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

By JOSH BOAK (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday rolled out a new set of initiatives to reduce health care costs: a crackdown on what he called “junk” insurance plans that play consumers as ‘suckers,’ new guidance to prevent surprise medical bills and an effort to reduce medical debt tied to credit cards.Biden is building on previous initiatives to limit health care costs, with the Department of Health and Human Services releasing new estimates showing 18.7 million older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries will save an estimated $400 per year in prescription drug costs in 2025 because of the president placing a cap on out-of-pocket spending as part of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act.Gearing up for his 2024 reelection campaign as inflation remains a dominant concern for voters, the Democratic president has emphasized his policies to help families manage their expenses, as well as a spate of government incentive...

Man swept into Omaha manhole during heavy rain was washed down pipes for a mile before rescue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Firefighters rescued two men who fell into a manhole during heavy rain in downtown Omaha on Friday, including one who was washed about a mile through sewer pipes before getting trapped behind a metal grate.The men, who were workers for a private contractor, Ace Pipe Cleaning, were swept into a manhole near the Old Market just after 9 a.m., the Omaha World-Herald quoted Lt. Neal Bonacci of the Omaha Police Department as saying. One of the men, who was tethered to a safety system, was quickly pulled out. A large-scale rescue effort ensued for the other, who was apparently not tethered. He was found around 10:20 a.m. The 41-year-old man had extricated himself from the water, but was found behind a metal grate covering a culvert. An Omaha Fire Department crew cut the grate to free him, Assistant Fire Chief Jason Bradley told the newspaper.He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center. His name and condition were not immediately released.The Associated Press

Dutch premier resigns because of deadlock on thorny issue of migration, paving way for new elections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government collapsed Friday because of irreconcilable differences within the four-party coalition about how to rein in migration, a divisive issue that has split nations across Europe.The resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the longest-serving premier of the nation, means the country will face a general election later this year. Rutte and his government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new ruling coalition is chosen.“It is no secret that the coalition partners have very different views on migration policy,” Rutte told reporters in The Hague. “And today, unfortunately, we have to draw the conclusion that those differences are irreconcilable. That is why I will immediately … offer the resignation of the entire Cabinet to the king in writing”Opposition lawmakers wasted no time in calling for fresh elections even before Rutte formally confirmed his resignation.Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freed...