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Drowning death of former President Obama’s personal chef on Martha's Vineyard ruled an accident

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — The drowning death of former President Barack Obama’s personal chef near the family’s home on Martha’s Vineyard last month has been ruled an accident by the Massachusetts medical examiner.Tafari Campbell, 45, of Dumfries, Virginia drowned while using a paddleboard in Edgartown Great Pond on July 24, the Massachusetts State Police said.Campbell was employed by the Obamas and was visiting Martha’s Vineyard. The Obamas were not present at the home at the time of the accident.Campbell's death was determined to be an accidental drowning following “submersion in a body of water,” Timothy McGuirk, a spokesperson for the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said Wednesday.In a statement following his drowning, the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, called Campbell a “beloved part of our family.”“When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House — creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together,” the ...

Ohio court system trading ankle bracelets for smartwatches

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

CINCINNATI (NewsNation) — Cincinnati is experimenting with a first-of-its-kind technology for electronic monitoring of some low-level offenders, swapping out ankle bracelets for smartwatches. The Southwest Ohio County Court System is piloting a new program that would change electronic surveillance, working to do away with the stigma surrounding electronic monitoring. Officials say they will still be able to keep an eye on those who break the law, but in a more discreet way. But some say the technology still needs more testing before the switch is made. In Warren County, Judge Robert Peeler is at the forefront of the effort to help criminal offenders re-integrate into society using a device called the VeriWatch. Hundreds of San Francisco federal employees working from home due to crime Similar to a smartwatch, the device would replace the clunky and often uncomfortable ankle bracelet with a smaller, less conspicuous option. The device would still be able to track a person's moveme...

Son of fallen CFD firefighter dropped off in firetruck on first day of school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

HAZEL CRUST, Ill. — The 7-year-old son of a fallen Chicago firefighter had lots of support on his first day back at school without his father.Jared Pelt was picked up in a fire truck Wednesday morning and dropped off at his school in Hazel Crust.He was cheered on by his father's former CFD colleagues.Jermaine Pelt, 49, died from smoke inhalation in April after fighting a blaze in West Pullman. He served with the fire department for 18 years. Pelt, who has an adult daughter, was able to walk her down to aisle at her wedding prior to his death.

In the deadly Maui fires, many had no warning and no way out. Those who dodged barricades survived

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

As flames tore through a West Maui neighborhood, car after car of fleeing residents headed for the only paved road out of town in a desperate race for safety.And car after car was turned back toward the rapidly spreading wildfire by a barricade blocking access to Highway 30.One family swerved around the barricade and was safe in a nearby town 48 minutes later, while another drove their 4-wheel-drive car down a dirt road to escape. One man took a dirt road uphill, climbing above the fire and watching as Lahaina burned. He later picked his way through the flames, smoke and rubble to pull survivors to safety.But dozens of others found themselves caught in a hellscape, their cars jammed together on a narrow road, surrounded by flames on three sides and the rocky ocean waves on the fourth. Some died in their cars, while others tried to run for safety.“I could see from the bypass that people were stuck on the balconies, so I went down and checked it out,” said Kekoa Lansford, who made sev...

Dean's Streaming Picks: 'Ahsoka' and 'Invasion" Season 2 and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

Dean Richards shares his picks for new streaming offers this week.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Tattoo shop, beauty lounge celebrating grand opening in Gloversville

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Color Coven - INK is celebrating its grand opening in Gloversville while The Color Coven - Beauty Lounge is celebrating its grand reopening on Saturday, August 26. The businesses are in the same building at 2-10 South Main Street in Gloversville. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Both owned by Anastasia Lott, The Color Coven – INK recently opened and offers tattoos and piercings. Anastasia opened the beauty lounge in 2021 in a different space on South Main Street before moving to its current spot. The lounge offers waxing, facials, haircuts, hair color, hair extensions, and more.The ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration are set for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event includes refreshments, vendors, games and prizes, raffle baskets, tattoo and piercing raffles, face painting and temporary tattoos, goodie bags, and selfie stations. Cat boutique closing shop on Schenectady’s Jay Street Al...

Woman pleads guilty in cross-country drug trafficking case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Wednesday, Jazell Shuler, 35, of Troy, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute marijuana and money laundering. Schuler was one of 24 individuals indicted in a cross-country marijuana distribution case. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Shuler admitted that she was a member of a trafficking organization that cultivated and shipped marijuana from Fresno, California, around the United States. Some of the shipments were delivered to the Capital Region.Schuler received the packages of marijuana and sold the drugs at "knock spots" in the Capital Region. Schuler also laundered marijuana and THC proceeds for the organization. She sent $13,000 in money transfers in cash drug proceeds from Troy to six people in Fresno, Windsor, and Merced, California. Two plead guilty to money laundering and drug trafficking Schuler faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million and $500,000, respectively, fo...

$3.7M awarded to help revitalize northern Missouri communities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Economic Development awarded more than $3.7 million for multiple projects intended to revitalize northern Missouri. The money will help with new developments and upgrades north of the I-70 corridor. These include projects such as downtown property renovations, historic district redevelopment, and community facilities.According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, projects are already planned in Adair, Buchanan and Nodaway counties. More than $1 million will be invested into local downtowns as well. Jay-Z stops by the Pulitzer before Beyoncé’s St. Louis show Money was made available through the Missouri Community Revitalization Grant program, which was launched last May and is supported through ARPA funds. "We’re proud to invest in the future of our state’s north region through the second round of the Community Revitalization Grant Program,” said Gov. Mike Parson. “As we continue to deliver on our commitment to a stronger eco...

Missouri woman uses spicy tortilla chip to start house fire, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A woman from Nixa was arrested for first-degree arson after the fire department says she poured gasoline on some clothes, lit a spicy tortilla chip and started a fire at a Greene County home.Patricia Williams, 42, is being held in Greene County Jail for arson and other warrants after an incident on August 11. Multiple complaints made after concert delays in extreme heat According to a probable cause report, police arrived at the scene and saw smoke coming from the back door with people standing out front. The witnesses stated Williams started the fire and she was placed under arrest.The report states that witnesses inside the house saw Williams pour gasoline from a soda bottle onto clothes and the floor of the laundry room. Williams then lit Takis tortilla chips on fire and tossed them into the laundry room.Three other people were inside the house at the time of the fire and all escaped the house with no injuries.Williams was seen on gas station surveillance foo...

With “everybody else” dead or gone, a California bank grows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:28 GMT

By Eliyahu Kamisher and Max Reyes, BloombergFrom his office just outside Los Angeles, Dominic Ng watched as California banks fell like dominoes — first crypto-friendly Silvergate Capital Corp. down near San Diego in early March, then Silicon Valley Bank up north days later, followed by San Francisco’s First Republic Bank at the beginning of May.Once the regional-banking turmoil eased, Ng found himself head of the biggest surviving California-chartered bank. The deposit base at his Pasadena-based East West Bancorp Inc. grew by $921.4 million, or 2%, in the months after the collapse of its peers. With $68.5 billion in total assets, East West is the only state bank with more than $50 billion in assets, a level that triggers closer scrutiny by state regulators.“I didn’t grow that much,” Ng, 64, said in an interview shortly before crosstown rival PacWest Bancorp agreed to a takeover by smaller competitor Banc of California Inc. as part of the fallout from this year’s upheaval. “It’...