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Grant program funding two overnight shelters opening in North Central Massachusetts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

United Way of Massachusetts Bay awarded a grant Wednesday to open two overnight shelters in North Central Massachusetts as the Healey administration continues to contemplate how to use $50 million for an overflow site.Opportunities for Hope will provide 23 bedrooms across the two sites as well as facilities management and maintenance while the Spanish American Center will offer “multilingual, culturally competent resource coordination and connections to local supports.”This is the second grant the nonprofit organization has handed out to a community group to stand up overnight shelters after Gov. Maura Healey shuttled them $5 million in federal cash. The sites come online as the emergency shelter system in Massachusetts is still at the 7,500-family limit the governor put in place earlier this year.United Way of Massachusetts Bay President and CEO Bob Giannino said United Way of North Central Massachusetts, Opportunities for Hope and the Spanish American Center thought “creatively ab...

Authorities investigate string of armed robberies across San Diego County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An overnight crime spree has prompted a countywide investigation after reports of multiple armed robberies in San Diego County.According to both the San Diego Sheriff's Department and San Diego Police, two or three black male suspects reportedly held up locations stretching from North County down to San Diego. Authorities say the description of the robbery suspects appear to match for each location aside from one. From around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday night until shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, the following areas were targeted in this string of robberies: SDPD sergeant shot in head in shootout identified Stockton neighborhoodPolice say three black male suspects entered a store on the 3000 block of Market Street around 11:28 p.m. They reportedly ran up to the register and removed it from the counter. They all ran out of the store with the register and were last seen running northbound 30th St. The three suspects were said to be between 19 and 25-years-old. One was r...

14-year-old dirt bike rider struck by suspected DUI driver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 14-year-old boy was sent to the hospital Tuesday after a dirt bike crash involving a suspected DUI driver in Ocean Beach.According to the San Diego Police Department, a 47-year-old man was driving a Land Rover LR3 southbound on the 1400 block of Ebers Street around 7:53 p.m. Authorities investigate string of armed robberies across San Diego County At that same time, police said a 14-year-old boy was riding a Talaria electric off-road dirt bike northbound on Ebers Street. Both the driver and rider entered the intersection with Point Loma Avenue, authorities explained. The driver began to make a left turn onto eastbound Point Loma Avenue and the dirt biker continued straight on Ebers Street. The 14-year-old boy impacted the Land Rover on the right side and went under the vehicle. SDPD confirmed. He was reportedly dragged several feet. The dirt bike rider sustained a fractured pelvis to both the left and right side, police said. He was transported to a local hospital f...

The last residents of a coastal Mexican town destroyed by climate change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

EL BOSQUE, Mexico (AP) — People moved to El Bosque on the Gulf of Mexico in the 1980s to fish and build a community. Then climate change set the sea against the town.Flooding driven by some of the world’s fastest sea-level rise and by increasingly brutal winter storms has all but destroyed El Bosque, leaving twisted piles of concrete where houses used to line the sand. Forced to flee the homes they built, locals are waiting for government aid in rentals they can scarcely afford. The U.N. climate summit known as COP28 finally agreed this month on a multimillion-dollar loss-and-damage fund to help developing countries cope with global warming. It will come too late for the people of El Bosque, but by 2050 millions more Mexicans will be displaced by climate change, according to the Mayors Migration Council, a coalition researching internal migration.Just two years ago over 700 people lived in El Bosque; barely a dozen are left. Between those numbers lie the relics of a lost community. ...

Ontario housing minister to make announcement amid talk of Peel’s future

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

Ontario’s housing minister is set to make an announcement later today amid reports the government is considering reversing course on dissolving the Region of Peel.Paul Calandra has reversed several big government moves since he took over the housing portfolio in September after his predecessor resigned amid the Greenbelt scandal.The government passed the Hazel McCallion Act in the spring to dissolve Peel Region, which is made up of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.The act fulfilled a promise Premier Doug Ford made to the former longtime mayor of Mississauga that it would stand as an independent city Related: Peel dissolution will leave Brampton with $72 million deficit every year: new report Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has recently said the dissolution would cost more than $1 billion and leave his city with no choice but to raise taxes.Mississauga mayor and new Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie wants Peel to dissolve and has questioned the accuracy...

Guilbeault hails ‘monumental’ COP28 deal, others warn of ‘dangerous distractions’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s environment minister is hailing what he calls the “monumental” outcome of the United Nations climate summit. It’s the first time the summit of nearly 200 countries has collectively agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems.Minister Steven Guilbeault says Canada played a leading role in solidifying the deal agreed to on Wednesday to close out COP28 in Dubai. The language of the agreement is stronger than a draft floated earlier in the week, though many warned it was undermined by loopholes. Liz McDowell, senior campaigns director with environmental group Stand.earth, says the deal is weakened by “dangerous distractions,” such as leaving the door open to so-called transitional fuels, and failing to commit wealthy countries to finance the energy transition. The federal government made several announcements during the two-week summit, unveiling its emissions cap for the oil and gas industry and draft regulations t...

LeBron James says ‘moment was everything’ seeing son Bronny’s debut for Southern Cal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — LeBron James didn’t get the same break as his Los Angeles Lakers teammates after they won the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.The superstar went back to LA from Las Vegas on Sunday to watch his oldest son, Bronny James, make his collegiate debut for Southern California nearly five months after going into cardiac arrest during a workout.The Lakers had another day off before returning to the regular season with a 127-125 loss at Dallas on Tuesday night. James didn’t miss a beat, finishing with 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.“It was everything for my family,” James said of his detour back to California. “It was just an emotional, draining day, from the time we all woke up to the time the buzzer hit zeros.”After getting a pat on the rear from his dad before the opening tip, Bronny James had four points, three assists and two rebounds while playing 16 minutes in an 84-79 overtime loss to Long Beach State.The son didn’t greet his fath...

Caledon man on parole arrested as police seize $30,000 worth of drugs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

Police say a Caledon man on parole for drug trafficking offences has been arrested after officers seized $30,000 worth of drugs, money and other items during a traffic stop in Richmond Hill.York Regional Police investigators say an officer stopped a vehicle in the area of Leslie Street and Minthorn Boulevard near Highway 7 around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 1.Police say the driver gave a fake name, failed to comply with his federal parole and had cannabis in his possession.After searching the vehicle, police found more than 200 grams of suspected cocaine packaged for sale, suspected fentanyl pills, more than 800 grams of illicit cannabis, around $5,000 in Canadian currency, three cellular phones and several bottles of alcohol.Police say the street value of the drugs is estimated to be worth more than $30,000.Tharshun Sivasubramaniam, 34, has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine), possession of a controlled substance, obstructing a peace officer and possession o...

H&R REIT selling downtown Toronto waterfront property for $232.5 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

TORONTO — H&R Real Estate Investment Trust has signed a deal to sell a downtown Toronto property to George Brown College and Halmont Properties Corp. for $232.5 million.The property at 25 Dockside Dr. is located on the city’s waterfront and is substantially leased to Corus Entertainment.The real estate trust says net proceeds from the sale will be about $168.0 million and is expected to be used to repay debt and fund its current developments.H&R also says it will pay a special distribution of 62 cents per unit including 52 cents that will be payable in units and 10 cents in cash.It says the special distribution is principally being made to distribute to unitholders the taxable income realized by the REIT from transactions in 2023. Following the special distribution, the units of the REIT will be consolidated so that unitholders will hold the same number of units as before the special distribution. It says the amount of the special distribution payable in units will inc...

Bonnie Crombie says Jan. 12 will be her last day as Mississauga mayor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:59 GMT

Bonnie Crombie says January 12 will be her last day as Mayor of Mississauga. Crombie says in her resignation letter posted to social media on Thursday morning that she will continue to work with city council to pass the 2024 budget and ensure a “smooth and orderly” transition. Mississauga City Council is expected to declare her seat vacant and begin plans for a byelection at its Jan. 17, 2024, meeting. “For nearly a decade I’ve had the honour of serving the residents of Mississauga as their Mayor and before that, as the Councillor for Ward 5,” Crombie said in her letter. Today I tendered my resignation as Mayor of the @citymississauga. My last day will be January 12. It’s been an honour of a lifetime to serve the people of #Mississauga for over a decade. I hope to continue to give back and do great things for our city as @OntLiberal Leader. pic.twitter.com/IG3sZksJLg— Bonnie Crombie (@MayorCrombie) December 13, 2023Crombie was elected the new lead...