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‘The whole house shook’: Neighbors recall Needham house explosion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

State fire officials are investigating a house explosion in Needham on Saturday morning that left a home seriously damaged and a gas worker hospitalized.Crews responding to a reported explosion on Prince Street around 8 a.m. found flames coming from the house and learned a private contractor who had been doing scheduled gas work at the home had been injured, according to Needham Fire Chief Thomas Conroy.“The whole house shook,” said neighbor Steve Hinds. “It was loud, it was a ‘boom’ and big shake.” The worker was transported to the hospital with what were considered non-life-threatening injuries and no one who lives in the home was there at the time.Conroy noted the outcome could have been much worse if more people had been home.“There’s significant damage,” he said. “They’re very lucky.” Eversource crews responded to the scene to make the area safe.The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.No add...

City of Boston accepting 2nd round of SPACE Grant Program applications

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

The City of Boston is collecting its second round of applications for the Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises (SPACE) Grant Program, which aims to support small businesses, particularly those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications from this round are due Nov.10 at 5 p.m.“The City is working to identify creative ways to bring people back to commercial districts to revitalize our local economy,” an announcement read. “We are seeking to fill vacant storefronts and help small business owners secure new storefront space or expand to a space by subsidizing the costs associated with operating expenses.”Prioritized businesses include but are not limited to: Food service and production, restaurantsChildcareRepair and maintenance and laundry services (laundromats, dry cleaning) RetailArt, entertainment, creative economyFitness, wellness (including spas and salons) and recreationLearn more here.

Bruins suffer first regulation loss of season in Detroit, 5-4

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

The Bruins at last looked like a team that was missing half its regular defense corps on Saturday night in Detroit.The Red Wings scored three goals in 3:49 of the third period to hand the B’s their first regulation loss of the season, 5-4, Little Caesers Arena.The B’s had lost an early two-goal lead, regained a one-goal advantage late in the second period and then the Wings tied it again at 6:50 of the third period.After being thoroughly outplayed in the second, the B’s had kept Detroit pinned in their own end, but as soon as the Wings were able to break it out, they tied it. Parker Wotherspoon, who had kept the puck in the offensive zone a couple of times, gave Dylan Larkin a little too much and the speedster took it, beating Linus Ullmark to the short side.Then the Wings took their first lead of the game at 8:56 on a fluky goal. David Perron whiffed on a shot from the bottom of the left circle but was able to score on a quick do-over.Detroit then pushed it to a t...

Red Sox decline club option for LHP Joely Rodriguez

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

The Red Sox announced Saturday they’ve declined left-hander Joely Rodriguez’s $4.25 million club option, making the oft-injured reliever a free agent.Rodriguez, 31, was the first free agent signed by the Red Sox last winter, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million deal with the club option for 2024. Rodriguez was originally envisioned as the club’s top left-hander out of the bullpen, but his season was derailed by three separate trips to the injured list. The lefty ultimately appeared in only 11 games for Boston, posting a 6.55 ERA with a 1.727 WHIP in 11 innings.Instead of the option, Rodriguez will now receive a $500,000 buyout and will be eligible to sign with any other team starting Monday.The Red Sox decision came a day after the team also declined the $11 million club option for right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber, and after designated hitter Justin Turner declined his $13.4 million player option. With all three of Boston’s option decisions finalized, the team...

Skeleton marching bands and dancers in butterfly skirts join in Mexico City’s Day of the Dead parade

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Thousands of people turned out Saturday to watch Mexico City’s Day of the Dead parade as costumed dancers, drummers and floats took a festive turn down the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard all the way to the historic colonial main square.There were marching bands disguised as skeletons and dancers with skull face paint performing in Indigenous costumes. The smell of traditional resinous copal incense hung heavy over the parade.A skeleton drum group pounded out a samba-style beat, while blocks away dancers swirled long skirts painted to resemble the wings of monarch butterflies, which traditionally return to spend the winter in Mexico around the time of the Day of the Dead. In a nod to social change, there was a contingent of drag performers costumed as “Catrinas,” skeletal dames dressed in the height of 1870s fashion.The holiday begins Oct. 31, remembering those who died in accidents. It continues Nov. 1 to recall those who died in childhood and then on Nov. 2 celebr...

Texas State thumps Georgia Southern 45-24, becomes bowl-eligible for 1st time in 9 seasons

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas State Bobcats are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2014 after a 45-24 win Saturday over Georgia Southern at Bobcat Stadium.Buoyed by 24 second-quarter points, the Bobcats pulled away from the Eagles to move to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Quarterback TJ Finley accounted for five touchdowns, three passing and two rushing, and finished with 301 yards on 25 of 31 passing. No. 7 Texas avoids disaster, stays in Big 12 title game hunt with OT win over No. 23 Kansas State Wide receiver Joey Hobert went off on Georgia Southern, hauling in 13 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown, and running back Ismail Mahdi rushed for 99 yards on 20 carries.The Bobcats trailed 10-7 after the first quarter, but then their offense went bonkers. Finley threw two of his scoring passes in the frame and ran for another while Mason Shipley booted a 31-yard field goal. Finley's rushing score in the quarter came with 0:42 seconds left on a 16-yard run.MORE THAN...

Kiszla: Air Force Falcons squander chance to prove there’s still room for underdog story in college football

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

Playing on the biggest stage in decades, Air Force squandered its claim for a big bowl bid, coughed up the football six times and lost 23-3 Saturday to Army.As 52,401 fans headed to the exit, Falcons cornerback Jamari Bellamy took a slow and silent walk the length of a stadium draped in shadows. His silence spoke volumes: With the dream of an undefeated season broken, the chances of challenging Alabama or Oregon in a New Year’s Six bowl now hover somewhere between slim and none.“We had high expectations to come out here and win this game and we didn’t. So we’re very disappointed,” said Air Force tailback John Lee Eldridge III, the emotional letdown so great his words were robotic. “We just didn’t go out there and execute the small things like we usually do.”Is college football now such a big business that it’s naïve to believe in an underdog story?When the playoffs expand to 12 teams in 2024, it’s hard to make a case that any team from the have-no...

Colorado saw record number of hail reports in 2023 water year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

Colorado saw record-breaking hail reports during the 2023 water year, according to the year-in-review report from the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University.A water year, in which precipitation is measured, begins Oct. 1 of any year and ends Sept. 30 of the following year. Colorado saw its 31st wettest water year on record this water year, with some areas northeast of Denver, including Denver International Airport and some of the northern suburbs, recording their wettest year.Colorado saw nearly 800 reports of hail over an inch, and hail reports at every inch mark from one to four inches set a record in 2023, according to the report.There were 796 reports of hail over one inch in 2023, over 200 reports higher than the previous record of 561 reports in 2018.Reports of hail over two inches nearly doubled the previous record of 91 also set in 2018, with 176 reports in 2023.The 37 three-inch-and-over and the 15 four-inch-and-over hail reports in 2023 tripled the previous r...

Ready for takeoff: Cody Williams set for CU Buffs debut

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

Ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the class of 2023, freshman Cody Williams (right) is ready for his Colorado Buffaloes debut. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)After a recent practice, Colorado freshman Cody Williams lingered on the CU Events Center floor to get in extra shots with a couple of his veteran teammates.As he was winding down, the right-handed Williams lined up a left-handed 3-point attempt. Swish. A bystander, unsure if he saw what he just saw, asked Williams as he was coming off the floor if that was left-handed.“Yeah,” Williams replied. “I want to do one in a game.”Whether that happens — or exactly how many games Williams will play in a Buffs jersey in order to meet that goal — remains to be seen. Regardless of the ultimate fate of that potential left-handed 3-ball, Williams’ pending debut with the CU men’s basketball team is certain to offer more than a few eye-popping highlights.One of the most anticipated player debuts in program history finally arrives on Monday e...

Southern California woman disappears in Guatemala

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:35 GMT

The search is underway for a missing Southern California woman who disappeared while on a yoga retreat in Guatemala.The missing woman, Nancy Ng, 29, from Monterey Park, disappeared on Oct. 19 at a retreat in Lake Atitlán, according to her family.Nancy, a former Cal State L.A. student who works for the Alhambra Unified School District, had planned to relax at a week-long yoga retreat, something she had done for the second year in a row.She left on Oct. 14 and just a few days into her trip, her family said the retreat organizer called to say she had disappeared.She was officially reported missing on Oct. 19 and her family said the worst part is not knowing where she is or what exactly happened that day. The details of her disappearance remain few and far between.Loved ones are searching for Nancy Ng, 29, a Monterey Park woman who disappeared on Oct. 19, 2023 while at a yoga retreat in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. (Ng Family)Loved ones are searching for Nancy Ng, 29, a Monterey Park woman ...