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‘He was such a nice guy’: Hopkinton community mourns man killed in house fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

The Hopkinton community is mourning the loss of a man who was killed in a house fire early Sunday morning.Crews responding to a reported fire on Hayward Street around 1:15 a.m. found heavy fire coming from the house and immediately requested mutual aid, according to Hopkinton Fire Chief William Miller.When they learned that there were still two people in the house, crews made an aggressive internal search and found an older man in a hallway and an older woman in a bedroom, Miller said.Officials say the man was pronounced dead at Milford Regional Medical Center. The woman was taken to a Boston hospital to be treated for her injuries.A dog also died in the fire.“He was such a nice guy,” said Tom Smith, a friend of the victim. Smith said he was supposed to see his friend Easter morning. “I was just at the coffee shop because he has coffee with a bunch of us guys at Dunkin Donuts, and I said ‘I hope it wasn’t near Don’s house,'” Smith said. R...

Lincoln Park mansion once owned by White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell sells for $2.1M

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

A five-bedroom, 6,100-square-foot vintage brick mansion in Lincoln Park that former Chicago White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell once owned sold on March 24 for $2.12 million.McDowell, 57, pitched for the White Sox from 1987 until 1994, and was a three-time All-Star and a Cy Young Award winner. After his 13-year Major League Baseball career ended in 1999, McDowell continued playing guitar in a rock band. In 2021, he managed a summer collegiate baseball team in Burlington, N.C. — not far from his home base in Charlotte.In Lincoln Park, McDowell paid $450,000 in 1991 for the two-story house. He sold it in 2002 for $975,000 to the couple who just sold it.The sellers expanded the mansion in 2005 with a 3,500-square-foot addition. Situated on an extra-wide, 38-foot lot, the mansion has 5-1/2 bathrooms, an attached and heated garage, custom woodwork, millwork, hardwood floors throughout, 10-foot ceilings on the main level, nine-foot ceilings elsewhere, an original front door and mantel a...

Chris Perkins’ 2023 NFL mock draft: Who will still be available when Dolphins make their first pick at No. 51?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s initial 2023 NFL mock draft features Dolphins columnist Chris Perkins making selections through pick No. 51, the Dolphins’ first pick. Trades, which are sure to happen, weren’t factored into this mock draft. The NFL draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City.1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago): Bryce Young, QB, AlabamaTough choice between Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and it’s always tougher to tell with Alabama quarterbacks because they’re surrounded by so much great talent.Top needs: QB, Edge rusher, ILB2. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio StateThe Texans come away with a top-notch prospect in Stroud, although he might not be as NFL-ready as Young.Top needs: QB, Edge, WR3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson Jr., Edge rusher, AlabamaArizona might trade out of this spot. If not, Anderson fits the bill as a high-quality pass rusher, a need with J.J. Watt retiring.Top needs: Edge, CB, OL4. Indianapolis Colts: Anthon...

Chicago baseball report: Is Pedro Grifol concerned with the White Sox pitching — and how will the Cubs celebrate home runs this year?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

The Chicago Cubs and White Sox have started the season with plenty of drama, some of it unwanted.Cubs manager David Ross fended off Twitter critics after a questionable move in a loss in Cincinnati, while Sox manager Pedro Grifol dealt with pitching woes in a historically bad start by his staff.There’s a long way to go, but things are already off to an interesting start for both teams.Every week throughout the season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened and what’s ahead for the Cubs and Sox.Cubs playing it old schoolEveryone has a gimmick these days for celebrating a home run hitter’s return to the dugout.The Milwaukee Brewers crown their guy with a cheesehead, and the Cincinnati Reds have a Viking theme. As former Cubs President Theo Epstein often said, it’s a copycat league.So what will be the Cubs’ home run celebration shtick? Or will this be a shtick-free season?“It has to be organic,” outfielder Ian Happ sai...

In mass rally, Israeli settlers march to West Bank outpost

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Israelis led by at least seven Cabinet ministers marched Monday to an evacuated West Bank settlement, in a defiant signal that Israel’s most right-wing government in history is determined to accelerate settlement building on occupied lands despite international opposition.The mass rally also threatened to further raise tensions that have been heightened by days of unrest across the region over a contested Jerusalem holy site. In new violence, Israel troops killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank.Monday’s march took place in the northern West Bank — the scene of repeated violence in recent months. Thousands of Israeli police and army forces were reportedly deployed to secure the march, which added to the already combustible atmosphere that has accompanied the overlap of major Jewish and Muslim holy days. Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks surrounding the...

New BOJ head says banks stable, rules out major policy shift

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The new governor of Japan’s central bank signaled Monday that he plans no drastic changes in its ultra-low interest rate policy, sticking to earlier messaging on the topic. Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said Japan’s financial institutions are not facing the sorts of turmoil seen recently with bank failures in the U.S. and Europe. He pledged to do his utmost to maintain stability in both prices and financial systems in the world’s third-largest economy.“Markets have calmed and, as far as the impact on the Japanese system, we have maintained the easy monetary policy, and there is ample capital and fluidity,” Ueda said.Japan’s central bank is seeing its first leadership change in a decade, at a time when inflationary pressures around the world remain a risk and central banks are fighting back with big interest rate increases meant to slow economic activity. Ueda is taking over what many see as the unfinished work of his predecessor, Haruhiko Kuroda, whose second five...

China military ‘ready to fight’ after drills near Taiwan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s military declared Monday it is “ready to fight” after completing three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan that simulated sealing off the island in response to the Taiwanese president’s trip to the U.S. last week. The “combat readiness patrols” named Joint Sword were meant as a warning to self-governing Taiwan, which China claims as its own, China’s military said earlier. “The theater’s troops are ready to fight at all times and can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign interference attempts,” it said Monday.The exercises were similar to ones conducted by China last August, when it launched missile strikes on targets in the seas around Taiwan in retaliation for then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, but have been smaller and less disruptive.Military experts say the exercises serve both as intimidation and as an opportunity for Chinese troops to practice sealing off Taiwan by ...

Summer feel hitting Toronto this week with near record-setting warmth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

Summer is that you? We’re just a few weeks into spring but the GTA is in for an incredible run of near record-breaking weather this week.An above seasonal stretch of mostly sunny skies begins Monday with daytime highs well into the double digits, and dipping into the 20s for multiple days later this week.CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor says the city could see some cloud on Tuesday, but likely will not get any wet weather until next weekend.“Likely not record-setting highs, but certainly well above average for this time of year,” says Taylor. “The average high this time of year is 18 C.”Another gorgeous photo from @jjur68 on this Easter Monday. On the cool side this morning BUT a taste of summer on the way! Highs will climb to 20+°C this week. Cooler with near or just below seasonal air will be back next week pic.twitter.com/XdhARIkrYI— Jill Taylor (@JillTaylorCity) April 10, 2023Monday will see a guaranteed high of 18 C, with things feeling a ...

Sleep Country to buy Casper’s Canadian operations for $20.6 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

TORONTO — Sleep County Canada Holdings Inc. says it will acquire Casper Sleep Inc.’s Canadian operations.Toronto-based mattress retailer Sleep Country says it will pay US$20.6 million for the U.S. mattress-in-a-box company’s Canadian assets. Sleep Country will receive a US$4.5 million marketing transition fee from Casper over the next four years and three-year warrants which would convert into a one per cent stake in Casper.Sleep Country says it has also invested US$20 million in five-year convertible notes, which can be converted into about five per cent of Casper shares.The deal comes as the number of e-commerce companies selling compressed and rolled mattresses in boxes that ship directly to customers has soared in recent years.Sleep Country bought online mattress firm Endy for $88.7 million in 2018.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:ZZZ)The Canadian Press

Grand jury weighs charges for police in Jayland Walker death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

A grand jury in Ohio will hear evidence this week to decide whether police officers should face criminal charges in the shooting of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man whose death sparked protests in Akron last summer.Eight officers fired dozens of rounds at Walker following a car and foot chase. Police said it began when they tried to pull him over for minor equipment violations and he failed to stop, then fired a shot from his car 40 seconds into the pursuit.Police body camera video showed Walker eventually bailed from his slowly moving car while wearing a ski mask and ran into a parking lot, where pursuing officers opened fire. A county medical examiner said Walker was shot at least 40 times. A handgun, loaded magazine and wedding ring were found on the driver’s seat of the car. Walker’s family called it a brutal and senseless shooting of a man who was unarmed at the time and whose fiancee recently died. Police union officials said the officers thought there was an imme...