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Md. Gov. Moore cancels contract at state nursing home for veterans following concerns of neglect and abuse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.Reports of abuse at a St. Mary’s County nursing home for veterans is causing the state to end a two-decade old contract with a South Carolina company.Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said Wednesday that the troubles at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home came to his attention the day he was sworn in. Complaints including abuse and fights between residents required immediate attention, he said.“As both a combat veteran and the state’s commander in chief, I am both personally disturbed and professionally enraged to learn of the level of disregard that has been given to the treatment of these patriots,” Moore said. “Every Marylander deserves better but particularly those who have been willing to risk it all for all of us.”In a phone call, the head of the company, HMR Maryland, said he and company officials were aware of Moore’s comments and the...

Chelsea’s Kepa back for Spain in De la Fuente’s first squad

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — New Spain coach Luis de la Fuente brought back Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga along with several veteran players on Friday when he announced his first squad since replacing Luis Enrique ahead of European championship qualifiers.De la Fuente only stuck with 11 players that Luis Enrique took to last year’s World Cup, when Spain disappointed with a penalty-shootout loss to Morocco in the round of 16.The group of World Cup players who were dropped included the Barcelona quartet of Jordi Alba, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati and Éric García, along with Atlético Madrid midfielders Koke Resurrección and Marcos Llorente, and Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio.In came Iago Aspas, Celta Vigo’s 35-year-old striker who made his 18th and last appearance for Spain in 2019. Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernández, 33, returns for the first time since 2018.Kepa is on the squad for the first time since 2020. Athletic Bilbao goalie Unai Simón, Spain’s starter at the World Cup and t...

Audit suggests DC’s program of eliminating traffic deaths is not working

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

A new audit of D.C’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate fatal and serious traffic deaths by 2024, suggests it’s not working.The D.C. auditor’s report says the program is suffering from not enough funding as well as not enough staffing and oversight.More Local NewsMore DC News“That division wasn’t funded until 2020 with under a million dollars, although that grew over a million dollars the following year,” said D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson in a press conference.The ambitious initiative kicked off in 2015. Since then, the report shows — in a chart with data from D.C. police — that traffic fatalities in the District have increased yearly except for 2019.The report also found that from 2017 through 2021, Ward 8 was the deadliest ward for pedestrians and bicyclists with 42 deaths.However, Patterson stated that the city has made strides when it comes to the equity of studying problems in all of D.C.’s wards.“We found no difference in their conduct b...

Jim Ratcliffe jets in for Manchester United buyout talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Jim Ratcliffe toured Manchester United on Friday as part of his bid to buy the English soccer club.The billionaire owner of INEOS jetted in for talks with club executives at Old Trafford, along with some of his closest advisors.Ratcliffe was greeted by United chief executive Richard Arnold on Friday morning and briefly met with manager Erik ten Hag at the club’s Carrington training base.“I just met them and shook hands,” Ten Hag said at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup quarterfinal match with Fulham. “We play a big game on Sunday and all our focus is on that. Others in the club are dealing with potential investors.” Ratcliffe posed for photographs at Old Trafford before heading to Carrington in a car with blacked out windows. He is getting a closer look at United before submitting a formal offer to current owners the Glazer family.Ratcliffe is one of Britain’s richest people and is bidding to buy a majority share of the 20-time ...

Who murdered this 15-year-old girl after a basketball game?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — “Their voices may now be silent . . . those who may know the truth are not,” the Colorado Bureau of Investigation shared as a part of its mission as it works to assist in bringing justice to cold case tragedies.There are hundreds of unsolved homicide cases, long-term missing person cases, and unidentified remains cases in our state where at least three years have passed since the crime happened. Alaska man arrested in 2006 Boulder County cold case murder The Colorado cold case task force created a list of those cases dating back to 1970. The Problem Solvers are working to highlight cold cases in our state each week.Murder of Marilee BurtThe Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office are working to solve the cold case murder of Marilee Burt from February 27, 1970.The CBI said Burt was walking to her home in Columbine Valley after a basketball game at Goddard Middle School but she never made it home.Witnesses told investigato...

St. Patrick’s Day rites: parades, bagpipes, clinking pints

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

Oh, Danny boy, ’tis the time of year when Irish bagpipes will be calling in the concrete glens of New York City, across the swooning boughs of Savannah, Georgia, and in the halls of the White House as the U.S. celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with parades, pub crawls and a state visit.The annual parade in New York City — which bills itself as the world’s largest and oldest — will draw throngs to Fifth Avenue to listen to bagpipes and bands, and give homage to Ireland’s patron saint.In Savannah, Georgia, paradegoers plant their lawn chairs in prime viewing areas to watch a flow of floats, dancers and marching bands. The city’s annual parade is one of the largest and draws visitors from near and far.Some cities including Chicago, which dyes its river green to commemorate a day when everyone pretends to be Irish, already held their parades last weekend. Other cities, including Boston, will hold parades and other festivities this weekend.But their streets will n...

Debris on SB Palmetto Expwy causing delays near 122nd Street

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

Emergency crews are working to clear up a significant debris spill that has caused heavy congestion on the Palmetto Expressway, Friday morning. The incident occurred on the southbound lanes near 122nd Street, where two right lanes have been blocked off to allow for cleanup.Footage from 7SkyForce shows dirt and debris scattered across the affected lanes, causing a major disruption to traffic. The incident has caused a significant delay, with traffic backed up all the way to Red Road.It is not yet known how long it will take for crews to clear the area. Motorists are being advised to allow extra time for their morning commute and to consider alternative routes if possible.

In Estonia, backing Ukraine isn’t controversial … but gay marriage is

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

Over the past year, Kaja Kallas has developed an image as a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. The next battlefield for the Estonian leader is closer to home … same-sex marriage.Currently non-existent throughout the former Soviet nations, same-sex marriage has emerged as one of the major issues in coalition talks led by Kallas, the Estonian prime minister whose party won the most votes in elections in early March.For the liberals, this could be their best chance to get gay marriage on the statute books. While the registered partnership act of 2014 did grant some limited rights to gay and lesbian couples, it was never implemented as there was always a conservative party in government blocking its adoption. This time, with Kallas inviting two liberal parties into the coalition, Estonia could be on course to become the first Baltic to allow same-sex marriage.“For almost a decade, there has been little to no progress when it comes to the rights of same-se...

Mass. man pleads guilty to trying to hire someone to kill wife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man who tried to hire a contract killer to kill his wife after she sought a restraining order against him instead asked an undercover federal agent to do the job, authorities said.Massimo Marenghi, 56, faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing after pleading guilty on Thursday in federal court to murder for hire, the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston said.Authorities started investigating in January 2021 when someone went to law enforcement and reported that Marenghi had complained about the restraining order and asked for assistance in killing his wife, prosecutors said.Federal investigators directed that person to introduce Marenghi to an undercover agent posing as a contract killer.Marenghi met with the agent in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, discussed a price of $10,000, and provided the agent with a photo of his wife’s home and explained how to evade surveillance.At a second meeting, he provided the agent with a $1,500 deposit, ...

Boston man arrested for threatening MBTA passengers with his pet rat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:24 GMT

A 57-year-old Boston man was arrested Thursday for threatening MBTA passengers with his pet rat, according to transit police. Officers arrested the man at Oak Grove station around 4 p.m. Police say he was also consuming alcohol and refused to leave the scene.Police say the man is “well known” to the department for “causing disturbances” with his pet rat, Jerry. Jerry the rat was turned over to animal control. https://twitter.com/MBTATransitPD/status/1636702630591311874