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Worcester man accused of pretending to be Uber driver, raping passenger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

A Worcester man has been ordered held on $10,000 bail for allegedly pretending to be a rideshare driver and then raping a customer.“This is a terrifying incident involving a woman who entered a vehicle with the full understanding that she was going to be delivered home in safety and a driver who took advantage of the victim and the situation,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement.Qabel Najeeb, 29, was charged in Boston Municipal Court Monday with one count of rape. Should he post bail, he is ordered to wear a GPS-tracking ankle bracelet and abide by a curfew that keeps him off the streets from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. He is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 15.The alleged victim met with Boston Police Saturday morning just before 5 on Border Street in Eastie, where she told them she was dropped off by a man she believed to be her Uber driver who had raped her somewhere among tall buildings near Storrow Drive, according to the Suffolk DA’s office.Police used surveil...

Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh returns to practice after missing past 4 games; Safety Marcus Williams absent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh returned to practice Wednesday after missing four games because of an ankle injury suffered in the second week of the season.Coach John Harbaugh had said Oweh was close to coming back, and he will be a welcome addition to a position group that has relied heavily on veterans Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. Oweh was off to a strong start in his third NFL season with four quarterback hits in the Ravens’ opening win over the Houston Texans.Only safety Marcus Williams (hamstring), defensive end Brent Urban (neck) and cornerback Kevon Seymour (ankle) were missing from the portion of Wednesday’s practice open to reporters. Linebacker Malik Harrison (concussion protocol) participated, while Clowney was present but not wearing a helmet or football shoes.With Williams unlikely to play against the Detroit Lions, the Ravens signed safety Andrew Adams, a veteran with eight interceptions in 100 career games, to their practice squad. Adams coul...

Walpole at Milton Field Hockey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

Milton, MA - October 18, 2023: Milton’s Meghan Mylod keeps the ball away from Walpole’s Emily Hagan during their field hockey game at Milton High School. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)Milton, MA - October 18, 2023: Milton’s Mary Lovett defends as Walpole’s Elana Govoni controls the ball during their field hockey game at Milton High School. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)Milton, MA - October 18, 2023: Milton’s Ali Drane comes up on Walpole’s Kerin Birch as she passes the ball during their field hockey game at Milton High School. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)Milton, MA - October 18, 2023: Milton’s Ali Drane pressures Walpole’s Kerin Birch during their field hockey game at Milton High School. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)Milton, MA - October 18, 2023: Walpole’s Emily Hagan gets her stick on the ball as Milton’s Bella Munnelly attempts a shot on goalduring their field hockey game at Milton High School. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)Milton, MA - October 18, 2023: Milton’s Mary Lovett battles...

Lobster decline raising new concerns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine — The population of young lobsters has declined nearly 40% in some of the most critical fishing waters off New England, officials said, triggering new restrictions for the fishermen who harvest the valuable crustaceans.Officials with the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said surveys have detected a 39% decline in young lobsters in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank areas for 2020-22 compared to 2016-18. The areas are among the most important lobster fishing grounds in the world.The drop in lobster recruitment is a continuation of a recent trend off New England, said Caitlin Starks, senior fisheries management plan coordinator with the commission.“I wouldn’t say it’s very surprising just given that we’ve seen a declining trend for a number of years now,” Starks said. “We’re seeing decline in those recruits.”The commission announced the drop in young lobsters just months after adopting new rules desi...

Massachusetts reports the most fatal teen crashes in more than a decade, distracted driving is major cause for teen accidents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

Nearly 50 teenagers died in car crashes last year across the Bay State, as the total number of fatal teen driver crashes reached its highest point in more than a decade.Distracted driving was the top cause of overall teen car accidents last year in Massachusetts, while more than half of teen drivers or passengers who were killed in crashes weren’t wearing their seatbelt.Last year, 49 people were killed in crashes involving 16-year-old to 19-year-old drivers — the first time that yearly total had eclipsed 40 fatalities in more than a decade, according to a new analysis from AAA Northeast.The count of 49 teen deaths was the highest since 56 people were killed in such crashes in 2008. This jump in Massachusetts mirrors the growing number of people killed in teen driver crashes across the country.“Teen driver crashes affect everybody on the road,” said Mark Schieldrop, of AAA Northeast. “Parents and caregivers play a critical role in making sure young drive...

New report shows ‘catastrophic’ cost of not replacing Cape Cod bridges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

A new report commissioned by members of the state’s congressional delegation underscores the “catastrophic” consequences for Cape Cod if the pair of aging bridges carrying traffic to the region are not replaced.According to a report prepared at the request of U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, the 90-year old Bourne and Sagamore Bridges are already costing Cape businesses money and impacting quality of life for the people who live and visit the region.“Failure to replace the bridges would be catastrophic,” the report reads.The federally owned bridges are the only roads for the 260,000 residents and the about 5 million annual tourists heading to or leaving the Cape. The State has been working with the Army Corps of Engineers since 2020 to secure funding for their replacement, expected to cost upwards of $4.5 billion. That process is ongoing.However, due their age and small size, coupled with frequent lane closures for maintenance, the time to replac...

Old North Church crypt comes alive after 10-month, $1.2 million restoration project

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

In the crypt of Boston’s oldest surviving church, one may expect to find spider webs, dirt and other signs of a rotting interior.But that’s not the case at Old North Church anymore, as guests are now greeted by a pristine space which contains 37 tombs, the final resting place for 1,100 people.Old North Illuminated, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the historic landmark, and the National Parks Service have completed a 10-month restoration and preservation project of the crypt.Workers put the final touches on the $1.2 million endeavor on Wednesday, installing eight restored original wooden tomb doors. The National Parks Service funded half of the work and provided project management, said Nikki Stewart, executive director of Old North Illuminated.Dozens of workers were involved in the project which focused on restoring the crypt’s masonry and wood surfaces, and excavation for an accessibility ramp, Stewart said.“It is exciting for us to see the space looking so well cared for,” she...

Patriots extra points: Running back, pass rusher replace wide receiver, D-tackle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

The Patriots signed running back Patrick Taylor and defensive end William Bradley-King to their practice squad Wednesday. The team released wide receiver T.J. Luther and defensive tackle Manny Jones in a corresponding move.Taylor was waived by the Packers on Oct. 10 after playing four games this season, carrying the ball 11 times for 31 yards and catching five passes for 28 yards. Since going undrafted out of Memphis in 2020, Taylor has 44 carries for 151 yards with one touchdown and eight catches for 48 yards.The Patriots got a good look at him in joint practices and a preseason game, in which he scored a touchdown, in Green Bay this summer.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | How Patriots are using Malik Cunningham in practice ahead of Bills game New England Patriots | Patriots-Bills injury report: Rhamondre Stevenson among 20 players listed after Wednesday practice New England Patriots | Patriots get bad news at Wednesday practice ahea...

Ticker: Encore slots workers join union; Subscription fee at X to fight bots and spam 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

UNITE HERE Local 26 announced  that 57 slot machine attendants will join a casino union workforce that also includes about 1,200 members of UNITE HERE Local 26 and 200 members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25. The union said the slot attendants will be rolled into what they called a “five-star contract.”Members from both unions, including restaurant workers, drivers and cocktail servers, have bargained together and are governed by the same contract since Encore Boston Harbor opened in 2019, the union said.The slot attendants voted to join the union last Friday, according to a spokeswoman. The union said wage, benefits, and job security measures in a contract that casino workers ratified over the summer, just before a strike deadline, will “automatically apply” to the slot attendants.Subscription fee at X to fight bots and spamIn an effort to combat bots, Elon Musk’s X says it will begin charging new accounts $1 a year to post, like...

Starbucks, Workers United union sue each other in standoff over pro-Palestinian social media post

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

By DEE-ANN DURBIN (AP Business Writer)Starbucks and the union organizing its workers sued each other Wednesday in a standoff sparked by a social media post over the Israel-Hamas war.Starbucks sued Workers United in federal court in Iowa Wednesday, saying a pro-Palestinian social media post from a union account early in the Israel-Hamas war angered hundreds of customers and damaged its reputation.Starbucks is suing for trademark infringement, demanding that Workers United stop using the name “Starbucks Workers United” for the group that is organizing the coffee company’s workers. Starbucks also wants the group to stop using a circular green logo that resembles Starbucks’ logo.Workers United responded with its own filing, asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue to use Starbucks’ name and a similar logo. Workers United also said Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence.On Oct. 9, two day...