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Better late than never! Book overdue by 90 years returned to Watertown Free Public Library

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

A book that was 90 years past its return date is back home in Massachusetts after spending decades away from the Watertown Free Public Library.Sharing the news on its Facebook page, the library said its copy of Egerton R. Williams Jr.’s “Hill Towns of Italy” was found by a patron in Washington, D.C., and was recently returned, years after its due back date of Jan. 30, 1934.The century-old book, described on AbeBooks.com as a guide to central Italy and its towns, would have fetched an overdue fine of $656, according to the library – if it still charged patrons.“According to the policy pasted inside this book, this patron would owe us ~ $656.00. Fortunately for them, we no longer charge late fines!” the library stated in its Facebook post.

Red Sox now considered dark horse to sign Yamamoto (Report)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

Recent conflicting reports about the Red Sox and Yoshinobu Yamamoto don’t inspire confidence that the Japanese starting pitcher will end up in Boston.Several reports have the Red Sox in the mix, making a genuine effort to reel in the offseason’s biggest starting fish. Some claim they’ve already offered him over $300 million, which the Herald can’t confirm at this time.Unfortunately for the Red Sox, it isn’t a one-way street. Their supposed push for Yamamoto – while an improvement over their last several offseasons of reticence – will be a small consolation if it doesn’t bear fruit, and he seems more drawn to other suitors on his very full dance card. It turns out that he was completely in a New York state of mind when he came east to meet with teams. According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the 25-year-old ace met with the Mets and Yankees, but didn’t come to Boston.Instead, representatives of the Red Sox made the trip to Los Angeles in...

Patriots place J.C. Jackson on non-football illness list, sign running back

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

The Patriots placed cornerback J.C. Jackson on the non-football illness list Tuesday afternoon.The move comes two days after Jackson was active for the Patriots’ Week 15 loss to the Chiefs but didn’t play nor even appear on the sideline. His agent, Neil Schwartz, told ESPN that Jackson was dealing with mental health issues.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | What to know about Patriots new quarterback Nathan Rourke New England Patriots | Patriots up-and-coming assistant has head coaching aspirations New England Patriots | Can Mac Jones regain Patriots’ starting QB job? Bill O’Brien weighs in New England Patriots | Why Patriots still have confidence in kicker Chad Ryland despite rookie struggles New England Patriots | Patriots-Chiefs film review: How Pats went from hot start to getting out-coached Jackson was left home from the Patriots’ Week 10 trip to Germany for their g...

Storm aftermath in Massachusetts: Tens of thousands still without power, crews work ‘nonstop’ before the holiday weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

The fallout from this week’s powerful storm continued on Tuesday, as tens of thousands of households remained in the dark with power company crews working 24/7 to turn on all the lights before the holiday weekend.The majority of the Bay State customers without power live in South Shore and MetroWest communities.After the outages on Monday peaked at around 300,000 Massachusetts households, the number of customers in the dark had dropped to about 60,000 as of Tuesday evening — while power line and tree crews work around the clock to restore power following the storm’s violent winds and heavy rain.Eversource expects to complete restoration for most customers by 11 p.m. on Wednesday, with many customers being restored before then.“Despite widespread damage in the hardest hit areas in MetroWest and south of Boston we have made great restoration progress today and have strategically assigned crews to get the power back on for our remaining customers as quickly as s...

Senate swiftly confirms top military brass, ending months-long campaign by GOP Sen. Tuberville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate unanimously confirmed 11 top-ranking military officers late Tuesday, ending a months-long blockade staged by a single Republican, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.Without debate, the Senate swiftly confirmed the military officials, including four-star generals, whose promotions and family livelihoods had been held up by the GOP senator protesting the Defense Department’s policy on abortion.“That’s good news,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said afterward.Schumer said other nominees had also been confirmed as the Senate is working to wrap up its work before a holiday recess.Confirming the 11 remaining high-ranking armed services nominees was a quiet end to Tuberville’s unusual effort after the senator faced pressure from all sides to relent. Critics said his stance, which had left key positions unfilled, threatened national security and left military families with an uncertain path forward.It came after the Senate...

2 Guinean children are abandoned in Colombian airport as African migrants take new route to US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Two children from the West African nation of Guinea were abandoned in Bogota’s airport and taken into government custody this week after spending several days on their own in the international departures terminal, Colombian authorities said Tuesday.Colombia’s national immigration department said the children, aged 10 and 13, had been travelling with separate groups and were left in the airport by their relatives earlier this month for reasons that have not been clarified.The discovery of the two children comes as migrants from Africa increasingly use South American and Central American airports as stepping stones on the long route to the United States.Last year, more than 12,000 Africans crossed the roadless Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama on their way north after taking flights to Brazil, according to statistics published by Panamanian officials.But this year, the number of Africans making the grueling trek across the jungle fell by 25% as an air r...

Charges laid in 2022 Hamilton townhouse fire that killed four people

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

The Hamilton Fire Department has laid charges against two tenants who survived a townhouse fire last December that killed four people.Two adults and two children died in the fire in Hamilton on Dec. 29, 2022.Ontario’s Fire Marshal has said there were no working smoke alarms in the home.The fire department says the two tenants have been charged with two offences under the Fire Code, including disabling a smoke alarm.They are also charged with failing to notify the landlord that an alarm in the unit was disconnected, was not operating or that the operation of an alarm in the unit was impaired.If convicted, they could face of a fine of up to $50,000 for a first offence, up to a year in jail or both.

TTC Line 3 Scarborough RT parts, equipment on track to be reused in Detroit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

Months after the TTC prematurely shut down Line 3 Scarborough RT due to a derailment, the transit agency’s remaining equipment and parts could be reused in Detroit.During a Detroit Transportation Commission (DTC) meeting earlier in December, its board voted to have DTC staff try to work out a deal with the TTC that would see all of the remaining, working parts, equipment and vehicles of the Scarborough RT acquired by the DTC for use on the Detroit People Mover.“It is the ultimate win-win because we’re able to put these items to good use which would otherwise be … scrapped for their metal. We’re able to take those, able to give those a second life,” Robert Cramer, the DTC’s general manager, told CityNews Tuesday afternoon. “It fills an incredible need for us given how difficult it is for us to get the replacement parts.”The Detroit People Mover is a 13-stop, single-track, one-way train line built in the mid-1980s and around the sa...

Migrant families rally for end to New York’s new 60-day limits on shelter stays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Migrant families and their advocates marched outside New York City Hall on Tuesday to demand Mayor Eric Adams end his plan to limit the number of days newly arrived immigrants can remain in city-run shelters. The late afternoon demonstration of students and parents at City Hall Park was in response to an order Adams issued in October limiting homeless migrants and their children to 60 days in city housing. The Democrat said the move was necessary to relieve a shelter system overwhelmed by asylum-seekers crossing the southern U.S. border. Liza Schwartzwald, a director at the New York Immigration Coalition, one of the groups that organized Tuesday’s rally, said the time limits only serve to uproot families who have already made the dangerous journey across the border after fleeing poverty and crime in their homelands. “There’s no excuse to retraumatize these families,” she said.Karen Alford, a vice president at the United Federation of Teachers, said the policy will fo...

Group turned away at Mexican holiday party returned with gunmen killing 11, investigators say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:12 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Survivors of a Sunday massacre in central Mexico told investigators that a group of people turned away from a holiday party returned later with gunmen who killed 11 and wounded 14, authorities said Tuesday.Navigio Agustín Gallardo Romero, a Guanajuato state prosecutor, said nine men and two women were killed. The state prosecutor’s office had revised the death toll down to 11 Monday night from 12, explaining that there was confusion with a victim from a separate case at the hospital.Authorities recovered shells from seven different guns at the scene, Gallardo said in a recorded video message. He said investigators are focusing on a group that operates in the area without providing more detail.Families carried the caskets of some of the victims through the streets of Salvatierra Tuesday.Guanajuato has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Jalisco cartel and local gangs backed by the Sinaloa cartel. The state has long had the highest number of homicides ...