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Treasurer cites ‘serious allegations’ of impropriety for suspending pot boss

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

After weeks of silence, the state treasurer has finally explained her reasoning for removing Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien from her $181,722 post atop the pot board.O’Brien, who was appointed by Treasurer Deb Goldberg last year, was unceremoniously suspended, with pay, by Goldberg in mid-September. Until Thursday, no reason was given, except veiled assertions by the current acting chair to reference the state law governing why a commissioner might be removed.Now we know why.“Several serious allegations were made by a Commissioner and CCC staff about the Chair’s behavior and the CCC initiated an investigation, hiring an outside law firm. The law firm undertook an investigation and has returned with a report. According to the CCC’s employee handbook, suspension with pay is the only allowable remedy at this point, as the findings are being reviewed and action is considered,” Goldberg said in a statement.Goldberg went on to say there is little else she can do at this...

Green Line Extension narrow tracks ‘certainly is unusual,’ MBTA GM Eng says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

A stretch of track that have narrowed on the Green Line Extension, forcing trains to near crawling speeds, “certainly is unusual,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said Thursday morning.A public dashboard shows multiple slow zones on the brand new tracks where trains are required to run at 3 mph, the average walking speed for any given person. The transit agency said the speed restrictions were put in place after it found that tracks along the brand new extension narrowed.Eng said as trains run over tracks the space between them typically widens.“We need to investigate what took place between when the previous runs that did not indicate any narrow gauge to the recent ones that resulted in the speed restrictions,” Eng said at a board meeting in Boston. “It is not typical but I would not say it’s impossible. But at the same time, not typical.”The new speed restrictions on the $2.3 billion Green Line Extension were met with outcry from local of...

Brooks Robinson public memorial service scheduled for Monday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

The Orioles will be hold a public memorial on Monday for Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, the team announced Thursday.Fans will have the opportunity to honor Robinson beginning at 10 a.m. at Camden Yards.Robinson died Tuesday at the age of 86. Through much of baseball’s Golden Age, Robinson was a poster boy for the national pastime, a symbol whose visage was even captured in a 1971 Norman Rockwell painting.For nearly a quarter of a century, Robinson was a face of the city. He went on to serve as a coach, broadcaster, special adviser and community liaison for the team after his playing days.Complementary parking will be available in lots A, B and C, and fans can enter the ballpark through Gate E. The lots will open at 8:30 a.m., and entry to Camden Yards will begin at 9 a.m. The event is not ticketed.Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Constance and Brooks Robinson Charitable Foundation at 2 Railroad Ave. in Glyndon. ()

Michael Gambon, veteran actor who played Dumbledore In ‘Harry Potter’ films, dies at age 82

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

By SYLVIA HUI (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — Michael Gambon, the Irish-born actor knighted for his storied career on the stage and screen and who went on to gain admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died. He was 82.The actor died on Wednesday following “a bout of pneumonia,” his publicist, Clair Dobbs, said Thursday.“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside,” his family said in a statement.While the Potter role raised Gambon’s international profile and found him a huge audience, he had long been recognized as one of Britain’s leading actors. His work spanned TV, theater and radio, and he starred in dozens of films from “Gosford Park” and “The King’s...

Top 8 San Diego area suburbs for first-time homeowners: study

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The American dream is still alive in the suburbs of San Diego, according to a new study by Today's Homeowner.As the cost to live in the region climbs with increased gas prices and soon-to-be water rate hikes, being a first-time home buyer can be tough in the local market. To help those looking to purchase their first house, the research team at Today's Homeowner, which gives expert advice on home improvements, conducted a study to find the best suburbs in America. The top public high schools in San Diego County, according to Niche In doing so, the researchers compared 583 suburbs of the largest U.S. cities by population across 11 metrics spanning these four categories: affordability, inventory, job opportunities and livability. Some things that were taken into consideration include the down payment-to-income ratio, homes for sale per 100,000 residents, median household income, and percentage of households with children, among other factors.Here's the top eight San Die...

Tropical Storm Rina forms in the Atlantic Ocean, trailing Tropical Storm Philippe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Rina formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said, as forecasters continued to monitor Tropical Storm Philippe that was also at sea.Rina had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was centered 1,190 miles (1,915 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for the storm, and there were no hazards affecting land. The storm was traveling north-northwest at about 10 mph (17 kph).Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Philippe was moving slowly across the Atlantic at 2 mph (4 kph). Maximum sustained winds were about 50 mph (85 kph), with little change in strength expected over the next several days.Philippe was centered 560 miles (895 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. There were no watches or warnings in effect, however forecasters advised interests in the Northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to monitor the progress of the sto...

Remains found of Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew, who went missing on Mother’s Day in 2020

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Investigators found the remains of a Colorado woman who went for a bike ride on Mother’s Day 2020 and never returned, but authorities said they still don’t have answers in the case.The discovery of Suzanne Morphew’s remains was announced Wednesday as authorities were pursuing a different case. It’s the latest twist in a mystery that saw prosecutors charge her husband with murder and then drop the charges. Barry Morphew has filed a $15 million lawsuit against county officials.Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents found the remains of the 49-year-old mother of two daughters while searching Friday in the area of Moffat. That is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of the Salida area, where Suzanne Morphew was reported missing.Investigators declined to release the exact location and the state of the remains.Barry Morphew, had been charged with murder and other crimes in her presumed death, but prosecutors dropped their case against him last year just as...

Lebanese Armenians scuffle with riot police during protest outside Azerbaijan Embassy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

EIN AAR, Lebanon (AP) — Hundreds of Lebanese Armenians scuffled with riot police on Thursday outside the Azerbaijan Embassy in northern Beirut during a protest against the Azerbaijani military offensive that recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh from the enclave’s separatist Armenian authorities. Protesters waved flags of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and burned posters of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the demonstration in the Ein Aar suburb of the Lebanese capital. Lebanese riot police lobbed teargas canisters at the protesters after they hurled firecrackers toward the embassy building.The 24-hour Azerbaijan military blitz last week forced Armenian separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and sit down for talks on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan. The separatist government said Thursday that it would dissolve itself and the unrecognized republic will cease to exist by year’s end after a three-decade ...

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s Olympic doping case will resume for two more days in November

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Olympic doping case involving teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will resume for two more days in November, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday.The highest court in sports said its panel of three judges adjourned the appeal after the third day of a closed-door hearing and will return on Nov. 9-10.“(The judges) ordered the production of further documentation and, in order to allow the parties to consider and address such documentation, allowed two further days for the hearing,” CAS said in a statement.Now 17 years old, Valieva was only 15 when her positive doping test for a banned heart medication was revealed at the Beijing Olympics in February 2022.With the unforeseen delay, a verdict isn’t expected until next year.The United States finished second behind the Russians in the team event in Beijing and never got their medals. They could be upgraded to become Olympic champions if Russia sanctioned.Valieva tested posit...

Traffic deaths declined 3.3% in the first half of the year, but Fed officials see more work ahead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:24 GMT

Traffic fatalities dropped 3.3% in the first half of the year compared with the prior-year period, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency said Thursday that an estimated 19,515 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the first half of 2023. There were 20,190 fatalities in the first half of 2022.Fatalities fell in the first and second quarters of 2023. That marks five straight quarter the figure has declined.The NHTSA estimates a there was a drop in fatalities in 29 states, while 21 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, are projected to have experienced increases. “While we are encouraged to see traffic fatalities continue to decline from the height of the pandemic, there’s still significantly more work to be done,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said. “NHTSA is addressing traffic safety in many ways, including new rulemakings for lifesaving vehicle technologies and increased Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for s...