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Rain has failed to quell Canadian wildfires, and more smoky haze is on the way, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian wildfires will send worsening smoky air across the country and neighboring United States in coming days after recent heavy rains failed to fall in areas of Quebec where the fires are most active, officials said Wednesday.Drifting smoke from the wildfires has lowered curtains of haze on broad swaths of Canada and the United States, pushing into southern Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, and moving into parts of West Virginia. Canadian officials say it is the nation’s worst wildfire season ever and they expect air quality to remain a concern through the summer, as long as the fires continue. It started early on drier-than-usual ground and accelerated very quickly, exhausting firefighting resources across the country, fire and environmental officials said.Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Steven Flisfeder said smoke will migrate across Quebec and Ontario over the next few days, and that air quality will deteriorate as a result.“As long as the fires a...

Colorado gun sales strong amid national slowdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Gun sales are coming back to earth after a post-COVID pandemic frenzy, and Colorado is relatively high on the list of states where buyers are most active according to an analysis from Safehome.org."In 2020, gun sales surged to the highest level in a decade, with nearly 9 million more sales than the previous year," the report reads. "This impressive increase of 64% marked the largest annual rise in two decades. Over the past two years, sales have decreased slightly from their record-breaking levels. This downward trend indicates a return to the typical sales figures seen in the years prior to 2020." Camping ban gets unanimous approval in Douglas County There were 17.4 million guns sold in the country last year, down from 19.8 million in 2021 and 22.7 million in 2020. Still, gun sales in 2022 were a 26% increase over 2019 sales. Colorado isn't at the top of the nation when it comes to gun sales or how much they've risen, but it is above average. There were an estima...

Florida man featured on ‘America’s Most Wanted’ arrested after 39 years for 1984 cold case murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

After evading capture for nearly four decades, a Florida man wanted for the 1984 murder of a woman in the Tampa area was arrested and extradited back to Florida. According to officials with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Donald Santini, 65, was arrested in San Diego and booked into a Florida jail early Tuesday morning. Santini had been wanted for the murder of Cynthia Wood, a 33-year-old woman who had been going through a divorce at the time. Wood’s lifeless body was discovered in a canal after being strangled, and Santini was identified as a suspect shortly after the murder. However, he managed to elude authorities and fled Hillsborough County immediately. For years, investigators relentlessly pursued leads, but Santini remained at large until recently when law enforcement successfully located him in early June.“The arrest of Donald Santini brings closure to a long-standing cold case and provides justice for the victim and her family after nearly four decades...

Emergency crews respond after flames spotted on tracks near Tufts Medical Center MBTA station

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

Crews responded to the MBTA’s Tufts Medical Center station on Wednesday after the MBTA said an operator reported flames within the track area near the station.Video at one point showed the smoky scene on the Tufts platform.The T initially announced delays for southbound trains in the area around 12:15 p.m. In an update at 12:30 p.m., the T said service was temporarily suspended between North Station and Back Bay due to what the agency described as an “issue with the third rail.” A T spokesperson said the operator of a southbound train at Tufts first reported flames within the track area in front of the train around 11:50 a.m. The spokesperson said fire crews arrived while the flames were being put out. Power was turned off to the third rail around 12 p.m. and fire crews had left the station as of around 1:45 p.m., the spokesperson said.There were no injures and the T said regular service had resumed following repairs around 2 p.m. This is a devel...

Franklin Fire Department responds after crane falls onto home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

Emergency crews responded in Franklin Wednesday after a crane appeared to have fallen onto a house in town.The incident happened on Michelle’s Way. The Franklin Fire Department shared an update around 3:10 p.m., showing a photo of the crane with its arm resting on top of the home. Part of nearby Bent Street was blocked at the time, according to the fire department. No further information was immediately available.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Boston MedFlight adds jet to transport patients from longer distances, the range is 1,500-plus miles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

Boston MedFlight has added a jet to its fleet, allowing the organization to transport critically ill or injured patients from longer distances.The Cessna Citation CJ4 twin engine jet expands an existing fleet of critical care transport vehicles — which includes five twin engine Airbus H145 helicopters and eight critical care ground ambulances.The jet has a range of 1,500-plus miles, a cruising speed of 460 mph, and has additional room to carry a family member or escort.“We are excited to have the CJ4 in service,” said Maura Hughes, CEO of Boston MedFlight.“While the majority of Boston MedFlight patient transports are done by helicopter and critical care ground ambulance, having an airplane asset represents an essential resource to expand our capabilities to and from longer distance hospitals and when weather conditions dictate,” Hughes added.Boston MedFlight cares for more than 6,500 patients annually — including the most critically ill and injure...

Healey ushers in new MassDOT board appointments, first disabled director

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

Four new members will join the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors at a time when transportation in the greater Boston area is under heavy strain, the Healey administration announced Wednesday morning.Commuters are about to deal with a month-long shutdown of the Sumner Tunnel, which state officials have pitched as necessary to repair the almost 100-year-old link between East Boston and downtown. That is virtually guaranteed to create traffic headaches across the city, officials said over the weekend.And federal officials are still scrutinizing the MBTA, where a portion of the Green Line is scheduled to close for 12 days in July for track replacement and new details are emerging about how a Red Line rider was dragged to his death last year at Broadway Station.The new board members include, for the first time, a person from the disability community, Dr. Lisa Iezzoni, and familiar faces in the transportation policy world like Richard Dimino, who led A Better C...

Born on the Fourth of Jul-pie: A patriotic, no-bake cream cheese treat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

Summer has officially arrived so most kids of all ages are on summer break, families are planning and taking vacations, barbecues are in full swing on weekends, and we’re all trying to get back to normal after a few long years.Fourth of July is right around the corner, which makes the best excuse to gather with family and friends at parks and beaches where potlucks are abundant, filled with delicious savory dishes and scrumptious desserts.I’ve always been a savory cook. Baking is my Achilles heel. My hat goes off to all the home bakers and professional pastry chefs because you all are artists when creating sweet treats. Since baking is not in my wheelhouse, I’d like to share my no-bake cream cheese pie that can be garnished with berries to make a red, white, and blue pie perfect for Independence Day.I was inspired to zest up a traditional cream cheese pie to make it my own. It’s perfect for the non-bakers out there because there’s no baking involved! Plus, it only takes a few minute...

France’s Macron calls the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old that led to unrest ‘inexcusable’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

By OLEG CETINIC and ANGELA CHARLTON (Associated Press)NANTERRE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting death of a 17-year-old delivery driver by police “inexcusable” and pleaded for calm while justice takes its course. The government heightened the police presence in Paris and other big cities Wednesday after the killing triggered a night of scattered violence. The death of 17-year-old Nael during a traffic check Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre elicited nationwide concern and widespread messages of indignation and condolences. French soccer star Kylian Mbappe tweeted: “I hurt for my France.” Nael’s surname has not been released by authorities or by his family.Nael’s mother called for a silent march Thursday in his honor on the square where he was killed, while French activists renewed calls to tackle what they see as systemic police abuse. Government officials condemned the killing and sought to distance t...

Gonorrhea shot gets FDA fast track as resistant cases multiply

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:18 GMT

Matthew Griffin | Bloomberg News (TNS)GSK Plc’s experimental gonorrhea vaccine got fast-track designation from U.S. regulators, putting the shot in position to become the first preventive for a common, often-undetected infection that’s gaining resistance to treatment.The Food and Drug Administration status makes the drug eligible for a sped-up approval process, if an ongoing midstage trial shows it’s effective, the company said Tuesday. GSK learned of its status in April and plans to move the vaccine to final-stage testing in 2026, said Giulia Giordano, vaccine development leader for the project.In 2020, some 82 million people worldwide caught gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to complications including infertility. While some patients show early symptoms, such as pain or urethral discharge in men or vaginal discharge in women, many cases may be missed even as the disease does long-term damage.The situation has been exacerbated by gonorrhea’s growing resistan...