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Needham defeats fellow volleyball powerhouse Westfield, 3-0

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

NEEDHAM – In each of the past two state title-winning seasons, one constant within Needham volleyball’s multi-faceted identity was Raymond Weng orchestrating the attack as its premier setter.Not anymore.Adding to a long string of games as the No. 1 Rockets’ Swiss Army knife, Weng delivered one of his best performances of the season as part of a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-17) nonleague sweep of No. 7 Westfield (12-2) on Friday evening. Eight of his 15 kills came in the third set, pairing with 12 assists and two aces to help lead Needham (13-0) to its 59th straight win.Weng, a two-time All-Scholastic, has been a primary leader in the majority of those 59 games. He has impressed head coach Dave Powell in this transition to a heavy-hitting role all year, but this one – against the reigning Div. 2 state champions – certainly stood out.“He’s a hitter,” Powell said. “He’s a really good server, he’s a really good hitter. If he’s in the front row, we try to feed him in certain situations. He’s a ...

Pandemic era turns a page at CDC, WHO

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

Boston’s own Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced she’s leaving the CDC just after the WHO said the coronavirus pandemic is no longer an emergency.It’s a one-two punch that lit up inboxes early Friday signaling an end to the nightmare the world just dragged itself through. It’s been evident the spread of COVID has cooled for months.“The world has changed. The pandemic is evolving into endemic — but it will be with us for the rest of our lives,” said Davidson Hamer, a Boston University School of Public Health infectious diseases specialist.He said the world “made some mistakes and learned from them.” That, he added, should prove vital if and when the next pandemic hits.“Keep your masks in your drawers,” he advised, adding mRNA breakthroughs could keep offering protection and possibly help with other diseases.He said Walensky’s departure as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was “a surpris...

Chicago White Sox outfielder Billy Hamilton enjoys visiting ‘where it all started’ while with the Cincinnati Reds

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

Billy Hamilton stood near third base before Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.“Billy!” a fan yelled from the stands.More cheers came while Hamilton took some swings during batting practice.“Let’s go, Billy!” another fan said.He later tossed a couple of baseballs to kids.The Chicago White Sox reserve outfielder enjoyed visiting where his career began.“I know we came back here in ‘21, but every time I come here it’s the same feeling, it’s great,” Hamilton told the Tribune before the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park. “You hear fans say ‘Welcome home,’ that’s always a good feeling. It’s always good to be back here every single time.”Hamilton, in his 11th season, played six seasons with the Reds (2013-18), hitting .245 with 277 stolen bases in 690 games.Reflecting on his favorite moments with the Reds, the 32-year-old said, “All of them. This is whe...

Billy Eppler confident Mets will turn it around: ‘There’s too much track record’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

Steve Cohen sat in the Mets dugout before his club opened up the home slate for the 2023 season a month ago. At the time, the Mets were 3-4 and were coming off a sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. His message: It’s too early to panic.General manager Billy Eppler sat in that same spot Friday afternoon before the Mets started a series against the Colorado Rockies. The team was 16-16 and this time, they had just been swept by the Detroit Tigers. His message was somewhat similar, though he didn’t exactly frame it in the same way the owner did. Eppler’s message was this: The club believes in the players on this roster and their ability to turn this season around.“Not kind of succumbing to the recency bias, but kind of taking a step back and trying to look at it from a 10,000-foot view, I believe in this roster, I believe in this team and players that are here,” Eppler said. “There’s too much track record, there’s too much these gu...

Bruins notebook: Jim Montgomery named Jack Adams finalist

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

Jim Montgomery had his eyes on another prize, but he may have to settle for the Jack Adams Award.To no one’s surprise, Montgomery was named one of the three finalists for the Adams – given to the top coach in the National Hockey League – in his first year with the Bruins.Though the B’s historic season ended in early and bitter disappointment, there is little doubt that Montgomery is the favorite for the award after the B’s set the NHL record for wins (65), besting the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, and points (135), surpassing the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.The B’s also led the league in regulation wins (54), road wins (31) and goal differential (plus-128).While the season ended far sooner than anyone hoped, the regular season exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic Bruin fans. Starting the season with Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk all on the shelf after offseason surgeries, the B’s...

Lou Tozzi track meet: Ava Bullock, Jack Graffeo shine in spotlight

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

MIDDLEBORO — Ava Bullock looks for a personal best every time she toes the starting line in the mile and that’s surely going to continue this season for the talented Barnstable sophomore. She had her best race of the season at Friday’s MSTCA Lou Tozzi Freshman-Sophomore Meet.Racing in near perfect conditions, Bullock switched gears and surged into the lead with 400 to go and powered her way to a huge personal best time of 5 minutes, 13.47 seconds. That time destroyed her previous mark of 5:22 and established a school record along with being the fourth-fastest performance in Massachusetts this spring.The stunning new best definitely gave her a lift.“I knew I had it in me to do that,” said Bullock. “I took the lead going into the last lap. I just want to go faster from here. I did what I wanted to today. I didn’t know I’d have that much left on the last lap.”Westford Academy’s Jack Graffeo came into the boys meet with top seed in t...

Bodycam video shows suspect shot after charging at deputies with bedframe

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department on Friday released bodycam video of a suspect who was shot by a deputy at a home near the Spring Valley area.The shooting occurred on the evening of April 26 in the 3600 block of South Barcelona Street, according to authorities.Law enforcement were called to the scene after a report of a man who had picked up a bedframe and threatened to kill another roommate, Lt. Adam Sharki with the San Diego Police Department said. Former FOX 5 anchor Paul Bloom dies The bodycam video shows the 45-year-old suspect, identified as Santo Marac, in the bathroom refusing to follow the deputies' commands. A taser was used on the suspect, but that did not affect him.Moments later, the suspect is seen charging toward deputies when gunshots are fired from a patrol deputy with the Rancho San Diego substation, who was identified as Benjamin Blake. The shots struck Marac and he fell to the ground.The suspect was taken to the hospital in stable but seri...

Rosedale community to honour little girl whose remains were found 1 year ago

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

One year ago this month, the remains of an unknown young girl were found in a dumpster in Rosedale. But after all that time, the child still has not been identified, and the case remains unsolved.In May 2022, police received a call from a worker on the site of a home under construction in the area of Dale Avenue near Castle Frank Road.Police said the girl was likely between the ages of four and seven and would have been deceased for nearly a year before her body was discovered. Since then, police have made appeals to the public for any information.Authorities have also released a composite sketch of the child’s appearance.RELATED: Police release sketch of girl whose remains were discovered in Rosedale dumpsterOn Saturday, May 6, a neighbourhood service will be held at the Rosedale Presbyterian Church. The memorial, called “A Service to Remember Her,” will be hosted to honour the life and dignity of the child.The service can also be viewed on the church’s webs...

Boston dean who shot student gets 18 years for racketeering

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A former Boston high school dean serving a 26-year sentence in state prison for shooting a student he had recruited to deal drugs has received an additional 18 years or more on a federal gang-related charge. Prosecutors said that Shaun Harrison, 63, lived a double life, portraying himself as an anti-violence activist and mentor for troubled teens while hiding his own gang ties and luring students into drugs and violence.In 2022, Harrison pleaded guilty to a count of racketeering conspiracy, also referred to as a RICO conspiracy. Harrison is serving time after his 2018 conviction for attempting to kill a student who was selling marijuana in the high school at Harrison’s direction, authorities said. The 17-year-old was shot in the back of the head after a dispute over declining drug sales, prosecutors said. The student survived but suffered partial face paralysis, permanent hearing loss and other injuries. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said Harrison e...

Jan. 6 prosecutors seek 25 years for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

The Justice Department is seeking 25 years in prison for Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as a violent plot to keep President Joe Biden out of the White House, according to court papers filed Friday. A Washington, D.C., jury convicted Rhodes in November in one of the most consequential cases brought in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, when a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters assaulted police officers, smashed windows and temporarily halted Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory. Rhodes was convicted of plotting an armed rebellion with members of his far-right extremist group to stop the transfer of presidential power from Trump to Biden.Prosecutors asked the judge to impose the quarter-century sentence, noting Rhodes had been convicted of multiple crimes — which also carry hefty sentences — in addition to seditious conspiracy, which calls for up 20 years in prison.They asked...