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20-foot sinkhole opens up at parking lot in Ocala

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

OCALA, Fla. (WSVN) — A pipe problem was exposed during a rainy day. Now, engineers are trying to determine what to do next. Part of a parking lot was swallowed by a huge hole, and an expert said it could be the first of many.“That is big, It’s a big hole,” Virginia Hargarten said.Hargarten is a regular customer of a Vitamin Shoppe in Ocala, but on Wednesday, a 20-foot-deep sinkhole stopped her from being able to pick up what she needed.“I feel sorry for the shop owners too,” Hargarten said. They have to be closed.”So what caused this deep problem?“What it looks like is a drainage pipe had failed over time, washed the underlying soil away,” said Darren Park, Ocala Public Works. “Heavy rains from Friday night put a lot of weight in the pipe, which caused the pipe to collapse.”A sink hole, roughly the same size, opened up nearby just a few years ago.Ocala’s Public Works department said the problem is old pipes.“Ov...

2 displaced after fire sparks in Sunrise apartment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

A family in Sunrise was forced out of their home by fast-moving flames.Sunrise Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the apartment blaze in a second-story unit along the 10000 block of Winding Lake Road, Thursday morning.It’s unclear how the fire started.Volunteers with the American Red Cross are helping two people who lived there, including a child.

Police say shot fired during response to hoax call at St. John’s Prep happened while officer was holstering gun

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

A shot that was fired inside St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers during an emergency response to a hoax call earlier this week was an accident that happened while a police officer was holstering his gun, town officials said.Officials shared an update on their investigation Thursday a matter of days after the incident at St. John’s Prep on Monday. In their update, officials said police responded within two minutes of an initial report claiming there was a person in a bathroom with a gun on the St. John’s campus. After clearing the bathroom inside the school’s Benjamin Hall, officials said an officer began holstering his gun. “The officer reported that as he did, his index finger was extended along the side of the barrel, which is consistent with his training, and that a secondary piece of equipment interfered with the holstering process, resulting in a single shot being discharged and striking the bathroom tile floor next to the officer’s foot,” officials sa...

Memorial Day weekend travel set to be third-busiest since 2000

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and people are ready to hit the road and the skies.AAA reported that 42.3 million Americans plan to travel more than 50 miles from home, which is 2.7 million more than 2022. This is projected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.Logan Airport officials want to make sure you’re prepared if you’re traveling by plane. They said passengers can help keep things moving quickly and save time getting through security by arriving two hours early.Officials remind air travelers to have their valid ID ready and to remember that liquids can only be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less.“The further we’ve gotten away from the start of the pandemic, the more and more people are flying,” said TSA New England Spokesperson Dan Velez. “This year, with pretty much all of the COVID pandemic restrictions gone, we’re going to see an influx of people flying who haven’t traveled in quite a bit.”Passengers ...

Thousands of flags dot Boston Common in tribute to fallen service members

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

More than 37,000 United States flags dotted the Boston Common Thursday, representing the thousands of military service members from Massachusetts who sacrificed their lives in defense of the country since the Revolutionary War.Elected officials, military leaders, and families of fallen service members gathered near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument to add 397 more flags to the memorial to represent those who were lost since the 9-11 terrorist attacks.The flags are planted in the hope that they offer a “measure of comfort” to families who can know that “we always remember their service and sacrifice,” said Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund President Thomas Crohan.“To speak their names as a sign of solemn gratitude and our deep respect,” Crohan said before the names of the 397 fallen service members were spoken aloud.Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond, executive director of Home Base, said Memorial Day is a bittersweet time for service members.“It’s a day of solemn remembrance,” ...

After ‘alarming increase’ in Boston-area roofie reports, Massachusetts looks to give out drink spiking test kits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

After police departments reported an “alarming increase” in date rape drug incidents across the region, Massachusetts legislators are looking to give out drink spiking test kits to bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.Law enforcement in the Boston-area has been sounding the alarm about numerous people reporting they were roofied at local bars. Police have warned people to use the buddy system, cover their drinks, and don’t leave their drinks unattended.“Yet reports of these incidents persist, over and over again,” State Sen. Paul Feeney said from the State House during the budget debate.“We’ve seen an alarming increase in drink spiking incidents at bars, nightclubs, concert venues and even house parties across the Commonwealth,” said Feeney, a Democrat from Foxboro.He proposed a drink spiking prevention and awareness amendment called “Drink Spiking Tests Bulk Purchase Program and Awareness Campaign,” and the amendment passed t...

Lemon Grove SWAT standoff ends; suspect in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

Editor's note: This story has been updated to say the location is the 8000 block of Longdale Drive, and to reflect updated information from authorities that the victim is a neighbor and was injured by bullet fragments.LEMON GROVE, Calif. -- One person was injured after shots were fired in East County Thursday morning, prompting an hours-long SWAT standoff that ended with the suspect in custody, San Diego County Sheriff's Department said.The rounds were fired off at a residence on the 8000 block of Longdale Drive in Lemon Grove. authorities say a female neighbor was hit by bullet fragments and was transported to a local hospital. She's expected to make a full recovery. Owners of San Diego restaurants charged with COVID-relief fraud Meanwhile, the sheriff's department said the suspect was barricading himself inside a home in the area. The mother of the suspect was able to get out the home safely and the sheriff's department says no one else was inside the home. No one else was ...

Adnan Syed’s murder conviction on hold for now, as Maryland Supreme Court considers appeal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Adnan Syed will not return to jail and his murder conviction is on hold, for now, as Maryland’s Supreme Court decides whether to hear his appeal. The state’s highest court issued an order on Thursday that prevents the reinstatement of Syed’s murder conviction by a lower court.Syed’s legal case began more than two decades ago, and gained international attention from the hit podcast “Serial.” He regained his freedom in September from a judge after Baltimore prosecutors moved to vacate his conviction, saying they reviewed the case and found alternative suspects as well as unreliable evidence used at trial.But the victim’s family said they received insufficient notice to attend the September hearing before the judge in person, which violated their right to be “treated with dignity and respect,” and the state’s intermediate appellate court agreed. In a 2-1 decision in March that was stayed for 60 days, the judges reinstated Syed’s convi...

Ford electric vehicle owners to get access to Tesla Supercharger network starting next year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — All of Ford Motor Co.’s current and future electric vehicles will have access to about 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in the U.S. and Canada starting next year.Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the agreement Thursday during a “Twitter Spaces” audio chat.“We think this is a huge move for our industry and for all electric customers,” Farley said.Musk said he didn’t want Tesla’s network to be a “walled garden” and that he wants to use it to support sustainable transportation. “It is our intent to do everything possible to support Ford and have Ford be on an equal footing at Tesla Superchargers,” Musk said. Farley said there will be a cost to Ford owners, perhaps a monthly subscription, but he didn’t give specifics. Details of any financial arrangement between Ford and Tesla were not announced. At first, Ford’s current electric vehicles will need an adapter to hook into the Tesla stations, which have their own connecto...

St. Louis mayor signs executive order to support transgender community

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:59 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones on Thursday signed an executive order designed to make transgender people feel more welcome in the city.The order calls for city agencies to pursue policies that will reduce the impact of transgender laws restricting gender-affirming care and sports participation passed earlier this month by Missouri lawmakers. Under the order, the city’s health department will increase access to information about gender-affirming care; inclusivity training will be incorporated for new and current city employees; city-run sports programs will not ask participants about their gender identity; and one bathroom in each city building will be designated as an all-gender facility, KSDK-TV reported. The city’s economic development arm also will be asked to recommend incentives for businesses to support gender inclusivity.Jones, a Democrat, signed the order after a discussion with LGBTQ+ leaders about how the new Missouri legislation will affect their co...