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Longtime Blackhawks leader Toews says he’s stepping away for health — but not retiring

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Former Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, a free agent after 16 years in Chicago, says he is stepping away from hockey to get healthy after playing in just 53 games last season.“I’d like to announce that I am not fully retiring, but I am taking time away from the game again this season,” Toews, who also missed all of the 2020-21 season with symptoms of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome, posted on social media. “I cannot deny my love for the game of hockey and still feel the passion for competing at my highest level. However, these last few seasons have been very difficult considering my health challenges.”A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Toews had 15 goals and 16 assists last season, the final year of an eight-year, $84 million contract. Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said at the end of the season that the team would not re-sign him.“The thought of playing for another team right now is so far in the back of my mind right now, especially after...

Police: Customer shot employee at Santiago's restaurant in Commerce City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) -- An argument led to a customer shooting an employee at Santiago's restaurant in Commerce City on Thursday afternoon, police said.The restaurant is located on East 72nd Avenue and U.S. 85. Police asked people to avoid the area as they searched for the suspect and continued to investigate the scene.Police believe they have identified the suspect and have leads on where he may be. The suspect has had interactions with police in the past, a Commerce City Police Department spokesperson said. Watch: Full police update on shooting The victim, an employee, was described as "young," but police did not have an exact age as of Thursday evening. It is not known how many times the victim was shot.Police have not yet determined if the victim shot back at the suspect and they are not sure if the two knew each other. Police say the suspect is an adult, but have not released a full description.The suspect arrived at the restaurant in a vehicle that police have since l...

6 public school districts sue Colorado over universal preschool

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A group of public school districts is suing over Colorado's new universal preschool program.Brighton 27J, Cherry Creek, Harrison 2, Mapleton, Platte Valley and Westminster school districts are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, along with the Colorado Association of School Executives and the Consortium of Directors of Special Education. Polis: Catholic schools that want universal pre-K must not discriminate "The lawsuit is centered on the fact that as it is currently set up, elements of the universal preschool program (UPK) prevent school districts from serving students and families the way that they were promised and in a way that complies with state and federal law," reads a statement from the Colorado Association of School Executives. The statement continues: "The claim requests that the court provide relief to school districts in areas related to funding and access to accurate and real-time student information necessary to ensure successful implementation of UPK at the...

Polis: Catholic schools that want universal pre-K must not discriminate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Families and schools are now using free half-days of preschool here in Colorado, but one group said they are being excluded from the benefits because of their religious beliefs. Two Catholic schools are now suing the state as a result. 6 public school districts sue Colorado over universal preschool The group that filed this lawsuit, Becket Law Firm, is representing the Archdiocese of Denver and argues the state program is not truly universal if not all families can participate. Gov. Jared Polis shared his thoughts on the mounting lawsuits against the program."I think our focus has always been: the kids first, of course no discrimination, serve everybody if you want to take public funds, and it's great to see so many preschoolers going back to school across the state," Polis said Thursday.The two Catholic schools in the lawsuit are St. Mary and St. Bernadette, which serve preschool students. An attorney for the religious schools said excluding them from the public p...

BSO searching for 15-year-old girl reported missing from Deerfield Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

Authorities seek the public’s help in their search for a 15-year-old girl who was reported missing from Deerfield BeachAccording to the Broward Sheriff’s Office Missing Persons Unit, Xantavia Smart was last seen along the 200 block of Northeast 39th Court, at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday. She stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs around 150 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes.The teen was last seen wearing a blue sweater, white shirt and blue jeans. According to her family, Smart experiences mental illness that requires medication.Officials urge anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact BSO Detective Chris Blankenship at 954-321-4268 or the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764- HELP (4357).

Father sentenced for 1-month-old’s death that renewed criticism of Maine’s child welfare agency

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (AP) — A father who’d faced a series of domestic violence charges was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the death of his 1-month-old son in a case that renewed criticism of Maine’s child welfare agency.Reginald Melvin, 30, of Milo, was sentenced Wednesday after entering a plea that had a similar consequence to a guilty plea to a charge of manslaughter. Under an agreement, prosecutors dropped a murder charge. His son, Sylus, died in August 2021 from blunt force trauma that left him with multiple internal injuries, according to the state medical examiner.Sylus’ mother, Desiree Newbert, said she reported to the Department of Health and Human Services that Melvin threatened to kill the family including her, Sylus, and her daughter, but that a caseworker never returned her call or visited the family. Melvin had been previously charged multiple times with domestic violence.Former state Sen. Bill Diamond accused the agency of “leaving vulnerable children...

Woman sentenced to 25 years in prison for murdering victim whose headless body was found in a park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of a woman whose headless body was found in a state park.Casandra Nazario, 26, of Waterbury had pleaded guilty in April to murder, first-degree burglary and tampering with evidence for her part in the July 2020 stabbing death of Rachel Lerato Sebetlela.A hiker found Sebetlela’s remains wrapped in blankets and garbage bags at Black Rock State Park in Watertown on Sept. 12, 2020.Nazario, who was sentenced Monday in Superior Court, had entered a plea deal with prosecutors and testified against her codefendant, Miles Johnson, who was sentenced Aug. 2 to 55 years in prison.During Johnson’s trial prosecutors presented evidence that he and Nazario, who had been dating, stabbed Sebetlela multiple times in the torso after the pair entered her home.Prosecutors presented evidence that Sebetlela’s boyfriend in New York had told Nazario that Sebetlela and Johnson were having an affair and c...

Knicks to host Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics to open up 2023-24 season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

The Knicks will start their season by welcoming Kristaps Porzingis in his new green uniform, just two weeks before Victor Wembanyama makes his MSG debut.The Celtics, perennial championship contenders and coming off an eventful summer, play at MSG on Oct. 25 for their respective openers, as unveiled Thursday with the league-wide schedule release.Porzingis, the former Knick prodigy whose career has been stalled by injuries, was acquired by the Celtics in the offseason for Marcus Smart. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN.Wembanyama, the NBA’s most hyped rookie since LeBron James, and his Spurs are scheduled for their Garden game on Nov. 8, also on ESPN.After a surprisingly successful push to the Eastern Conference semis last season, the Knicks are scheduled for 20 games on national TV next season (either on ESPN, ABC or TNT). Three of those are against Boston. Two are against the Cavaliers, who the Knicks defeated in the opening round of the playoffs last season. Two are ag...

South Bay mall in Dorchester the site of ‘dramatic increase’ in juvenile crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

The kids are at it again.“It should be noted that there has been a dramatic increase in violent crime, assaults on police officers and disturbances in the area of District Ave/South Bay Mall by juvenile groups,” the latest police report in the string states ahead of its narrative.In this one, four 13-year-old kids were arrested on assault and battery charges Wednesday night in a series of concurrent incidents at the South Bay mall in Dorchester that reads in the police report like a violent slapstick comedy.Patrolling officers were first approached by a male at around 8:25 p.m. His sweatshirt was all ripped up, his cheek was swollen and his eyes were watering, as noted in the incident report.The victim said he was waiting for the bus when a group of teens were trying to provoke him to fight. He said they shouted out come-ons to him like he was “smoking on somebody” before they descended on him with blows that knocked him to the ground and then kicked him in the face.But the juvenile...

As WynnBET cuts losses in eight states, Massachusetts operations remain ‘unaffected’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:54 GMT

A top official at Wynn Resorts, which owns the sportsbook running the show at Encore Boston Harbor, said last week they were cutting their losses in eight states where they had online sports wagering but planned to keep Massachusetts in their portfolio.The industry has faced headwinds across the nation, from the rise of more restrictive laws to the need to spend massive amounts of money on marketing to compete with DraftKings and FanDuel, two of the largest online sports betting companies in the United States.WynnBET is shrinking its online sports betting operations to areas where they have physical casinos in the United States — Las Vegas, Nevada and Boston. The company said operations in New York and Michigan “remain under review.”The continued requirement for an “outsized marketing spend through user acquisition and promotions in online sports betting” led the company to close online sports betting and iGaming platforms in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, ...