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Mayor, locals share update as FEMA continues to help Broward County with aid

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

After three weeks since historic flooding ravaged Broward County, help is finally on the horizon for residents of the area. On Tuesday, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that those who have already applied for assistance can expect to see money in their bank accounts by the end of the week.“We are told the approvals for the applications are already in process,” said Trantalis.Edgewood was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale, and homeowners are still picking up the pieces from the natural disaster. Steven Erb said he had to spend most of his money on an Airbnb as his family waited for the water to drain. Now, he has had to leave the temporary home because his funds have run short.“Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going,” said Erb.Erb said there is mold in the home he rents with his wife, two kids and their dogs.“We pretty much lost eve...

Heat’s Jimmy Butler sidelined for Game 2 against Knicks

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Butler won’t play for the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night because of a sprained right ankle.Butler was hurt after being fouled with 5:05 to play Sunday in the Heat’s 108-101 victory in Game 1. He was able to stay in the game, finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds.Butler is the leading scorer in the playoffs thus far, averaging 35.5 points per game.Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson will warm up before the game to see if they can play for the Knicks. Randle missed Game 1 after spraining his left ankle again in New York’s clinching victory over Cleveland in the first round.Brunson was added to the injury report Monday with right ankle soreness. Coach Tom Thibodeau said there wasn’t any specific play where the point guard was hurt.

Ocean Rescue shares safety tips for National Water Safety Month

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

May is National Water Safety Month and Ocean Rescue shared some tips in order to avoid a fun day at the beach from turning fatal. It’s a situation Miami-Dade Fire Ocean Rescue sees too often: A person not wearing a life vest, struggling in the ocean and a good Samaritan deciding to help.“A lot of times in these cases when somebody goes in to help somebody, they’re the ones who end up in trouble. Now we have two victims,” said MDFR Capt. Matthew Sparling. Lifeguards are well-equipped to rescue. They use buoys, personal watercraft and other gear to get people out of the water and get them the help they need.“If you see somebody in trouble, just try to get the attention of a lifeguard, police officer, call 911. Try not to respond. If there’s a bouy, a rope line, something, reach, throw, try not to go,” said Sparling. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue created a demonstration to give people a couple of reminders:Use a life vest – pool noodles and ring...

Yankees Notebook: Carlos Rodon’s back remains an issue, Lou Trivino needs Tommy John

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

With his back still barking, Carlos Rodon’s rehab has reached uncertain territory once again.Aaron Boone said Tuesday that the Yankees are having more doctors look at the southpaw, who originally hit the shelf with a left forearm strain early in spring training. Boone said that Rodon’s shoulder and elbow haven’t caused issues, but the team is determining whether Rodon’s back is something he can work through, or something that requires more time off.The manager said Rodon has put his arm to use recently, including a bullpen a few days ago and a throwing session Monday. Boone added that the back issue is not hurting Rodon, but it’s impacting his mechanics.“We need to get our arms around why he can’t get over that final hump. He’s not in any pain,” Boone said. “It’s just getting to positions the way he needs to move. We gotta get there.“We’re getting as many eyes on it as we can to see what exactly the best c...

Tom Thibodeau: ‘I don’t go by’ new-age defensive analytics

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

To the naked eye, the Knicks had a down season defensively. Tom Thibodeau’s eye, of course, says otherwise.The Knicks ranked 19th in all of basketball in defensive rating — averaging 114 points allowed per 100 possessions — during the regular season. The rank marked the worst defensive rating the team has put forth in any of the three seasons Thibodeau has coached in New York. For reference, his Knicks finished 11th in defensive rating in each of his first two seasons as coach.Yet Thibodeau’s Knicks also secured the best first-round defense in the playoffs, holding the Cavaliers to just 101 points per 100 possessions in each of their first quarterfinal games.Entering his second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Thibodeau shrugged off new-age analytics as a reliable barometer for his team’s defensive success.“The ratings systems that some people use, I don’t go by,” he said. “My markers are: defensive field goal percent...

Boston teen on home confinement after alleged MBTA Red Line grocery assault

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

Two teens face charges of attacking a woman on a Red Line train with the victim’s own groceries, including busting her nose with a pear.“This is inexcusable conduct that can undermine the public’s confidence in its ability to use public transportation safely and efficiently,” Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden said in a statement Tuesday.“Public transportation is crucial to the economic viability of our region, and when something like this happens — a passenger being set upon, unprovoked, and wounded in the process — it’s an assault not just on them, but on the entire system.”Saul Diaz, 18, was charged in municipal court in South Boston with unarmed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. An unnamed juvenile offender, a 16-year-old girl, faces similar charges. The pair were arrested on Friday based on evidence prosecutors say police obtained from surveillance camera footage.Judge Michael Bolden released Diaz to home confinement. Diaz is allowed out on weekdays during school ho...

Oklahoma woman: Sex offender controlled my daughter’s family

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

By SEAN MURPHY (Associated Press)HENRYETTA, Okla. (AP) — As law enforcement officials went silent Tuesday while piecing together what led to the killing of seven people in rural Oklahoma, family members of those slain recalled the controlling nature of one of the dead, who was a registered sex offender.Since the bodies were found early Monday, authorities have released scant information on who was killed, how they died and who killed them.Janette Mayo, whose daughter and three teenage grandchildren were among the dead, said the controlling behavior of her son-in-law, Jesse McFadden, was concerning, but that the family didn’t learn about his criminal history until a few months ago.“He lied to my daughter, and he convinced her it was all just a huge mistake,” Mayo, of Westville, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “He was very standoffish, generally very quiet, but he kept my daughter and the kids basically under lock and key. He had to know where they ...

Boston relaunches summertime ‘Open Streets’ events in new neighborhoods

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

Boston will be opening even more streets this season, city officials announced Tuesday, spreading the events showcasing neighborhoods’ arts and businesses further across the city.“Last year tens of thousands of people experienced our streets as vibrant public spaces,” said Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge at an announcement at the Jackson Mann Community Center on Tuesday afternoon. “And we’re incredibly excited to expand Open Streets again this year into more neighborhoods so that more people can enjoy these special events.”The Open Streets program, started in 2022, temporarily closes major streets in different neighborhoods to cars and allows pedestrians and local businesses to take part in various food, arts and other programming.The program will continue events from last year in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and Dorchester and expand into Allston-Brighton and East Boston. The long-running Open Newbury Street program, now expanded to every Sunday...

Ex-NFL receiver Henry Ruggs takes plea deal in fatal DUI crash, set for 3-10 years in prison

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs pleaded guilty to DUI resulting in death on Tuesday as part of a plea deal that will put him behind bars for three to 10 years.Ruggs, 24, faced up to 50 years in prison in connection with the Nov. 2, 2021 crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor in Las Vegas. He will be formally sentenced on May 10.Prosecutors did not immediately comment on the deal, in which Ruggs also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor manslaughter. In court, Ruggs said only “Yes, your honor” when asked if he understood the deal.“This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter and we look forward to closure for all parties involved,” said Ruggs’ defense attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld.Ruggs was driving 156 mph in his Chevrolet Corvette just seconds before the collision, according to vehicle data. The car was traveling 127 mph at the moment of impact. The speed limit on the street was 45 mph. Two hours after ...

Late-night shows go dark as writers strike

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:25 GMT

NEW YORK — The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns.“No contracts, no content!” sign-carrying members of the Writers Guild of America chanted outside the Manhattan building where NBCUniversal was touting its Peacock streaming service to advertisers.Some 11,500 film and television writers represented by the union put down their pens and laptops after failing to reach a new contract with the trade association that represents Hollywood studios and production companies.The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming.“There’s too much work and not enough pay,” said demonstrator Sean Crespo...