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Report: Former Methuen police chief ran office like a mafia ‘Don’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

A new report commissioned by the City of Methuen describes former police Chief Joseph Solomon as a “‘Don’ of an organized crime family” and states he was a co-conspirator to get an unqualified former city council president a police detective job that defrauded the city out of $400,000.Sean Fountain, a former city firefighter and City Council president who the 203-page investigative report put out by the STIRM Group described as “Police Officer (Impersonating)” is the center of the document obtained by the Herald. The document was released March 27 and amended on Monday.“On 1 July 2016, Fountain was appointed an Intermittent Police Officer by the City of Methuen’s Police Chief Joseph Solomon. Fountain was the beneficiary of a level of preferential treatment that was so blatant that it was criminal,” the report states. “He was treated differently from the four intermittent officers hired when he was.”Solomon earned more than $300,000 a year while he was chief, according to multiple re...

California Assemblymember Akilah Weber launches bid for State Senate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Democratic State Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber announced a run for the State Senate on Thursday, looking to assume the District 39 seat being vacated by President pro Tempore Toni Atkins."My promise to voters is that I will always be their voice to create a stronger and healthier San Diego for all," Weber stated. "I am deeply grateful to Senator President pro Tempore Toni Atkins for her service in the State Legislature and I will do my best to build upon her legacy.”Weber is the second person to indicate an intention to run for the office -- the first being embattled County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. Fletcher dropped out of the race upon announcing he would be checking into an inpatient treatment center for post-traumatic stress, trauma and alcohol abuse, days before allegations of sexual assault and battery were made against him in a lawsuit. Supervisors address Fletcher scandal in first meeting since resignation announcement Elected to the State Assembly in 2021,...

Suspect shot 2 hostages, killing 1, after wounding officer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A man was arrested after he shot and killed one person and wounded two others, including a highway patrol officer, at a park Thursday in Northern California, authorities said. Multiple police agencies began to descend on Roseville, a city northeast of Sacramento, in the early afternoon. California Highway Patrol officers were serving a warrant to the suspect when he began shooting at them, Roseville Police Capt. Kelby Newton said. One CHP officer was struck by gunfire, he said. When police arrived, officers confronted the suspect, who was still carrying a gun and was seen running from officers at a city park, Newton said. The suspect took two hostages, then surrendered to officers on the scene.Both hostages were shot and one of them died, officials said. The condition of the surviving hostage wasn’t immediately known. The wounded officer was hospitalized in stable condition. The names of the victims were not disclosed. The violence occurred near baseba...

Latest TTC service cuts and changes will mean longer Line 1 subway wait times

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

TTC staff will be unveiling schedule changes that will see cuts and boosts to various routes, but a new Line 1 subway schedule will mean longer waits for commuters.A TTC spokesperson confirmed new Line 1 (the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line) frequency standards will be part of a broader suite of changes rolled out in the early part of May.Currently, trains are supposed to come every three minutes (that increases up to four minutes in midday and evening periods, and five minutes after 10 p.m.) on weekday morning and afternoon rush hours. However, under new frequency standards, trains could come up to every four minutes during rush hours, five to six minutes during midday and evening periods, and seven to eight minutes after 10 p.m. On Saturdays, trains between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. currently arrive every four to six minutes depending on the time of day (every seven minutes after 10 p.m.). The new standards would see most trains coming every seven to eight minutes depending on the t...

Police issue PSA after sex offender released into Mississauga community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

Peel Regional Police have issued a public safety advisory about a sex offender being released into the community, believing the man is at a high risk of re-offending.Joseph Faulkner, 30, was released from prison last Sunday and is living in the Dundas Street West and Confederation Parkway area of Mississauga.Police said Faulkner is subject to several conditions, including not being in the presence of any children under the age of 16. He’s also bound by two probation orders, with end dates of August 1, 2023, and April 16, 2025.Investigators said that they’d be closely monitoring Faulkner and released this update to inform the public.“Members of the public are reminded that although Joseph Faulkner presents a safety risk to the public, he remains a Canadian citizen, and his rights are guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” a Peel police spokesperson noted in a news release.Police are advising the public to use caution if they encounter Faulkner, ...

Koepka living large at Masters, leads with Rahm and Hovland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka shared the lead Thursday in the Masters, and that’s about all they had in common.Not the way they started their rounds at Augusta National. Certainly not the tours they represent — Rahm a loyalist on the PGA Tour, Koepka a surprise defector to LIV Golf.All that mattered was the 7-under 65s on their cards, allowing them to join Viktor Hovland atop a leaderboard filled with red numbers and the ominous “weather warning” signs that figure to play a big role this week.A bad forecast has been talked about almost as much as how 18 players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf would perform amid the high-stakes pressure of a major over 72 holes with a cut.Koepka carried the flag, though he was more thrilled with having healthy legs and a bit of swagger that once led to his reputation as “Big Game Brooks.”“Once you feel good, everything changes,” Koepka said.Rahm opened with a four-putt double bogey, and on his way to the second tee thought of the fa...

660-mile rescue flight highlights Alaska’s unique challenges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Air National Guard this week traveled nearly 660 miles (1,062 kilometers) to rescue a pregnant woman on a small island 2 miles (3 kilometers) from Russia, reflecting the challenges patients face in the nation’s largest state where the most remote areas have no roads and hospitals can be hundreds of miles away.There was no air strip for a fixed-wing aircraft, so the crews flew a twin-engine combat search and rescue helicopter from the Anchorage area to the island in the Bering Strait. A long-range search and rescue aircraft guided the helicopter through mountain passes and refueled it in the air several times during the 5-hour flight.Russian aircraft routinely fly near the Bering Strait, but Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Sara Warren, who was the on-duty rescue officer, said they took every measure to avoid any conflict, including staying on the U.S. side of the international date line.“There was absolutely no activity from them,” she said of...

Catholic church in Maryland slammed after sex abuse report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — While the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore has long touted its transparency in publishing the names of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse, a report released this week by the Maryland attorney general’s office raises questions about the integrity of the church’s list. Following the report’s long-awaited release Wednesday, victims and advocates called on the Baltimore archbishop to address discrepancies — their latest demand for transparency in a decadeslong fight to expose the church’s coverup tactics.They also celebrated a major step toward potential legal recourse: state legislation passed Wednesday that would eliminate the existing statute of limitations on civil litigation against institutions like the archdiocese in cases of child sexual abuse. Similar proposals failed in recent years, but the attorney general’s investigation brought renewed attention to the issue this legislative session. The bill has been sent to Gov. Wes Moore, who has said he sup...

Doctor behind cross-border rush for Ozempic in B.C. is suspended in Nova Scotia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

BEDFORD, NOVA SCOTIA — Nova Scotia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons has suspended a doctor it says was responsible for thousands of prescriptions of the diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic that were mailed to Americans by two British Columbia pharmacies. Dr. Gus Grant, registrar and CEO of the college, says the regulator first heard about the Nova Scotia-licensed practitioner from media coverage of B.C’s recent move to restrict access to the drug for non-residents.B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the restriction last month after revealing that just one doctor had been behind thousands of prescriptions for Ozempic that were sent across the border.  Grant says the Nova Scotia college also heard “serious concerns” from B.C.’s College of Pharmacists about the doctor, who lives in the U.S. but is licensed in Nova Scotia as a non-resident, though he hasn’t practised medicine there “for many years.” He says B.C.’s College...

Chicago's emergency management and communications executive director retiring

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:32:58 GMT

CHICAGO — Rich Guidice, the executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications is retiring, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday. Guidice was appointed by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the start of 2019. Answering the call: Chicago dispatchers honored for being ‘voice of hope’ amid tragedy He has overseen events like the 2012 NATO Summit and championship celebrations for the Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks. "Throughout our work together, our city has endured great challenges, but what I have admired about Rich is his steady hand and effective leadership to steer the emergency response management of this great city," Lightfoot said. "At the helm of OEMC, he helped build a strong foundation for the department, was integral to our COVID-19 response and the modernization of our city's emergency response technology, and most recently, our new arrival mission."Lightfoot wished him well in his next chapter.