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ACC considering westward expansion, with eye on Stanford and Cal, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

The four remaining Pac-12 schools still aboard for next season — California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State — have options if they are looking for another conference.The Atlantic Coast Conference is exploring the possibility of adding the West Coast schools, with an emphasis on California and Stanford in the San Francisco Bay Area, a person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the ACC was not making its internal discussion public and the conversations were still in early stages.The American Athletic Conference also has interest in expanding West and adding all four Pac-12 teams, a person with direct knowledge of that league’s internal discussion told AP on condition of anonymity. The AAC has schools as far West as the Dallas area.The UC Board of Regents scheduled a special closed-session meeting for Tuesday morning to discuss Cal’s conference affiliation.The Pac-12 lost five...

Texans minority owner Javier Loya is facing rape charge in Kentucky

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Javier Loya, a minority owner of the Houston Texans, is facing a rape charge in Kentucky, according to court records.Loya has been charged with one count of first-degree rape, five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of third-degree sexual abuse in Jefferson County, Kentucky.The 53-year-old Loya was indicted and pled not guilty in May. He posted a $50,000 bond.“We are aware of the serious charges filed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky against Javier Loya, one of our outside limited partners,” the Texans said in a statement. “We have agreed with Mr. Loya that while those charges are pending, he will remove himself entirely from any team or league activities.”A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Loya’s stake in the team is less than 1%. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because ownership stakes aren’t publicly disclosed. “The club promptly notified the league of the serious pending charge...

Police search for missing 21-year-old man in Lauderhill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

The Lauderhill Police Department is seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 21-year-old man. Deoun Jackson was last seen near the area of North State Road 7 and Northwest 19th Street, Wednesday.He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and ripped blue jean pants.Jackson stands at 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has a dark scar on the right side of his face near his eyebrow. According to his family, Jackson is known to react negatively to loud or aggressive voices.Anyone with information on Jackson’s whereabouts is urged to contact the the Lauderhill Police Department at (954)-497-4700

Experience thrills as Popcorn Fright Film Festival returns to Miami

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

South Florida is the sun and fun capital of the world. We’re also home to some of the spookiest new films being made.You’ll see plenty of them, and more, now that Popcorn Frights is back in town.Yes. Be afraid Because Popcorn Frights Film Festival is back.Igor Sheyterneberg: “It celebrates the best and most glorious genre films from around the world. It’s a summer camp for horror film lovers.”Fun fact: The co-founder’s name just happens to be Igor.Igor Sheyterneberg: “Film makers are able to push the boundaries to show the most scariest, the most fun-est, the most compelling genre films.”Scary and “fun” are two words that perfectly sum up “Big Easy Queens.”Erynn Dalton: “It focuses on the rivalry between two really scary ladies who are running the French Quarter in New Orleans.”It checks all the right boxes for a freaky film.Erynn Dalton: “There’s blood, zombies, romance, glitter, murder,...

Drive on the water with JetCar in Miami

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

It’s one thing to walk on water, but not driving on water, that’s truly unbelievable. Or it was. Until we found JetCars.All the speed of a car, with all the fun of a boat. What could be better?You may have seen these cars on Instagram in Dubai but Miami raced to catch up.JetCars are the hottest thing on the water right now. So hot, you might feel like a celebrity with all the attention you get.It feels surreal.Fred: “This is now your opportunity to come and drive on water.”Yes, on water. And we don’t mean like South Florida streets after it sprinkles.Alex Miranda: “What do we call it?”Fred Kouakou: “JetCar, car boat, it’s up to you.”It’s JetCar, officially. A boat, technically. But, sports car in attitude.Fred Kouakou: “This can go up to 65 miles per hour, which is pretty fast on the water. So we set a limit to around 40, 45 miles per hour. And still very fast.”Plenty fast but plenty easy, too.Alex Mirand...

Toxic mix: South Boston death was caused by cocaine and meth, medical examiner’s office says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

An accidental drug overdose killed the transgender person who died at a South Boston apartment complex where four children were removed in June, the state medical examiner’s office said.The cause of death was determined to be “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of cocaine and methamphetamine,” a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told the Herald on Monday.The manner of death is listed as an accident.A city death certificate identifies the victim as Giovanni Murray, a 26-year-old man described in a Boston Police Department report as a “male to female transgender” person.The Suffolk District Attorney’s office is “conducting a standard death investigation” of what the medical examiner ruled to be a drug overdose, “as well as a fact-finding inquiry into other issues present in the incident,” a spokesperson for the DA Kevin Hayden told the Herald.The spokesperson declined to say what those “other issues” pertain to.The June 17 death at 381 Old Colony Av...

MASN’s Kevin Brown pulled from Orioles’ TV broadcasts after stating facts about team’s struggles in recent seasons

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

Kevin Brown, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network’s lead play-by-player announcer for Orioles games, was removed from the club’s television broadcasts a day after listing off statistics about Baltimore’s poor play in recent seasons, according to sources with knowledge of the team’s decisions.Brown hasn’t been featured on MASN broadcasts for the past two weeks. The Orioles entered their July 23 game against the Tampa Bay Rays with a chance to win a series at Tropicana Field for the first time since 2017. With an accompanying graphic on the MASN broadcast, Brown pointed out that the Orioles were 0-15-1 in their previous 16 road series against the Rays, going 3-18 at Tropicana Field from 2020 to 2022. Brown listed the figures in praise of the current team, which holds the best record in the American League.The Orioles won the game to take a two-game lead over the Rays in the AL East, their first time leading the division that late in a season since 2016. They h...

Yankees place Carlos Rodón on injured list with hamstring strain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

The Yankees rotation suffered another blow Monday, as the team placed Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.The left-handed pitcher departed during the third inning of Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros after suffering the injury. He allowed five runs in the game, which the Yankees ultimately lost, 9-7.The injury is the latest this season for Rodón, who missed the first three months with forearm and back ailments. The 30-year-old has struggled in the games he has played, pitching to a 1-4 record and 7.33 ERA in six starts.Rodón is in the first season of a six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees. He made the All-Star team and finished within the top six in Cy Young Award voting in his previous two seasons with the White Sox and Giants, respectively.Following Sunday’s early exit, Rodón expressed confidence he would avoid the injured list.“In this moment, I feel pretty confident that I should be able to...

MTA board unanimously votes to back MCAS ballot question

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

The board of the Massachusetts Teacher Association has voted unanimously to back a ballot question eliminating the state’s MCAS exam graduation requirement, kicking off the next step in the prominent campaign.“The elected leadership of the MTA has made clear how educators feel about the high-stakes nature of the MCAS exams and the unjust use of them as a graduation requirement,” MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said in a statement following Sunday’s vote.Two ballot initiative petitions ending the MCAS graduation requirement were filed by the Aug. 2 deadline. If approved by the Attorney General’s office, the petitions must receives about 75,000 signatures by mid-November to be put on the November 2024 ballot.McCarthy and other MTA members were among the signatures on the filed petitions. The union’s board of directors met Sunday to officially vote to support and approve the gathering of signatures for the ballot initiative.The...

Boston Acting Mayor Ed Flynn tours Mass and Cass: ‘It was worse than I expected’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:36 GMT

Ed Flynn started his week with boots on the ground at the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue, making good on his pledge to address the squalid conditions there during his 10-day stint as Boston’s acting mayor.Flynn initiated the 90-minute tour, which was held at 6 a.m. on Monday, allowing him the opportunity to observe what the area looks like before the city has a chance to clean it up.He was joined by members of the Boston Police Department, including Larry Calderone, who heads the city’s largest police union.“I think it was important for me to see for myself the deteriorating conditions at Mass and Cass,” Flynn said, later adding, “It was worse than I expected.”He pointed to the “squalor” and “rampant drug abuse in public” he saw in the area long known for its open-air drug dealing and homeless encampments, adding that the mental health challenges of almost everyone he encountered there was not something he was expecting.“The mental health aspect of it...