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Invasive yellow-legged hornets spotted in US for first time, pose threat to honeybees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

(CNN) — The first live specimen of a yellow-legged hornet, which “poses a threat to honeybees and other pollinators,” has been detected in the wild in the United States, according to a release from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.The GDA, US Department of Agriculture, and the University of Georgia confirmed the presence of the hornet near Savannah, Georgia, in August, the release said.The yellow-legged hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia and feeds on a variety of insects, according to the GDA. “If allowed to establish in the US, this invasive species could threaten honey production and Georgia’s native pollinators,” the release said.“Pollinators play a significant role in Georgia’s agriculture industry, the state’s main economic driver, and it is imperative that these invasive pests are tracked and eradicated,” the GDA said. “We are working with USDA APHIS and UGA to trap, track, and eradicate these pests and will continue to ass...

‘Complete betrayal of trust:’ Neonatal nurse in a British hospital found guilty of killing 7 babies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

By PAN PYLAS and BRIAN MELLEY (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — A neonatal nurse in a British hospital was found guilty Friday of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six others during a yearlong campaign of deception that saw her prey on the vulnerabilities of sick newborns and their anxious parents.Following 22 days of deliberation, the jury at Manchester Crown Court convicted 33-year-old Lucy Letby of killing the babies, including two triplet boys, in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. She will be sentenced on Monday. “Parents were exposed to her morbid curiosity and her fake compassion,” said senior prosecutor Pascale Jones. “Too many of them returned home to empty baby rooms. Many surviving children live with permanent consequences of her assaults upon their lives.”Her attacks, Jones said, were “a complete betrayal of the trust placed in her.”Families of the vic...

City empties as thousands flee wildfire closing in on capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

By TAMMY WEBBER (Associated Press)VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Firefighters worked to keep open the only route out of the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories as a wildfire moved closer to the city of 20,000 and residents rushed to beat a noon Friday deadline to evacuate.Airtankers flew missions overnight to keep the highway out of Yellowknife open, and authorities were guiding a long caravan of motorists through fire zones, officials said. Meanwhile, a network of fire guards, sprinklers and water cannons was being established to try to protect the city from the fire, which had moved to within 15 kilometers (9 miles).Northwest winds combined with minimal rain were complicating efforts to slow the fire, which could reach the city limits by the weekend, emergency officials said. There was a chance of limited rain on Friday, but officials said it likely wouldn’t be enough to stop the fire.“We’re heading into a critical couple of days,” Shane Thompson, a gov...

Tornado touched down in North Attleboro and Mansfield, weather service confirms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

The National Weather Service confirms a tornado touched down North Attleboro and Mansfield this morning.The weather service adds it will have more information soon.It all comes as a storm swept across the region today dumping rain from the North Shore to Cape Cod.The NWS survey team has confirmed a tornado touchdown in North Attleboro and Mansfield this morning. Further details regarding path length and EF rating will be forthcoming after the survey has been completed.— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 18, 2023 Parts of the South Shore were under a tornado warning until 10:45 a.m.The alert was for: Brockton, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph, Stoughton, Marshfield,Hingham, Canton, Scituate, Pembroke, Rockland, Abington, Whitman,Hanover, Holbrook, Norwell, Hanson, Cohasset, and Avon.Flood warning for upper Middlesex CountyFlash Flood Warning for…Essex County in northeastern Massachusetts…Northeastern Middlesex County in northeastern Massachusetts…Some locations...

Tropical Storm Watch in effect for parts of San Diego County for first time in history

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KSWB) -- A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for parts of San Diego County as Hurricane Hilary rotates north from the coast of Mexico.This is the first time in history that the National Hurricane Center has made this type of advisory for the region.The areas affected include Borrego Springs, Julian, Pine Valley, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, San Diego, Escondido, El Cajon, Lakeside and Poway.The Tropical Storm Watch -- which also includes portions of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties -- went into effect Friday at 8:29 a.m.A full list of specific areas for each county can be found here. What is a Tropical Storm Watch?The National Weather Service says this means tropical storm-force winds are possible somewhere within this area within the next 48 hours. To put that in perspective, peak winds from Hilary could reach 30-40 mph with gusts to 55 mph after making landfall. According to weather officials, Hilary's window for tropical storm force winds i...

CP NewsAlert: Homes ablaze in West Kelowna, B.C., after devastating overnight battle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

WEST KELOWNA, B.C. — Homes are currently ablaze in West Kelowna, B.C., after a devastating overnight battle with a wildfire that has already destroyed a significant number of properties.The fire has been “exponentially worse” than expected, the city’s fire chief says.More coming.The Canadian Press

Florida ethics commission chair can’t work simultaneously for Disney World governing district

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

The chair of Florida’s ethics commission has an ethics problem, but it’s due to working at The Mouse rather than being a rat.Glen Gilzean, the new administrator of Walt Disney World’s governing district, can’t continue to work in his new job and chair the Florida Commission on Ethics at the same time since Florida law prohibits public employees from serving as members on the commission, according to a legal opinion issued Thursday.The ethics commission is charged with setting the standards of conduct for public employees and public officeholders in Florida, and it investigates complaints of violations.Gilzean is an ally of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and was selected to the position in May by DeSantis’ appointees who took control of the governing district’s board. The takeover was in retaliation for Disney’s public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay ” legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers.Members on the ethics commission don’t ea...

DNA links killing of Maryland hiker to Los Angeles home invasion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

BEL AIR, Md. (AP) — DNA evidence has linked the recent killing of a Maryland woman whose body was found near a hiking trail to a Los Angeles home invasion and assault of a girl earlier this year, authorities said.Both cases remain unsolved. Detectives matched DNA collected from the crime scenes, but they haven’t identified the suspect yet. Following a news conference Thursday evening in Harford County northeast of Baltimore, authorities released surveillance footage and photos of the suspect from video captured while he was leaving the house that authorities said he broke into in March.Rachel Morin, 37, left her home to go hiking the evening of Aug. 5 and never returned. Her boyfriend reported her missing later that night and her car was found near an entrance to a trail she frequented, officials have said.Her body was discovered the following day after her disappearance was widely reported. “We believe this was a person that Rachel probably didn’t know,” Col. William Davis with the...

Dance show tours local schools to motivate youth to take climate action

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

A local dance group is taking an innovative approach to climate education that’s helping students in Brockton Village turn their eco-anxiety into action.Emma Bartolomucci, a choreographer and climate activist, launched The Fourth R: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Revolutionize, a dance performance about climate action, in 2020.At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bartolomucci became interested in climate science, so she decided to combine this knowledge with her passion for dance. It resulted in a theatre production that shows how our actions as consumers can impact the planet.Emma Bartolomucci onstage at Saint-Frère-André Catholic Secondary School. (Tony Fera/CityNews)“We’re so privileged here in North America. We have so much that to not to be ignorant about this issue, it’s unacceptable,” explained Bartolomucci. “So, I was using any resources I could. I’m a skilled dancer. How can I incorporate this urgency into my dance? How can I incorporate ...

Rhode Island tornado lifts car as New England storms flood roads, topple trees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:09 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A rare Rhode Island tornado lifted a car off an interstate highway Friday morning as severe weather swept already storm-weary New England, a fire official said.Johnston Fire Chief David Iannuccilli said firefighters responded to Interstate 295 after reports of a car lifted off the road by a tornado. The driver was shaken up but unharmed, he said.“The driver said she got caught in the funnel, was lifted 10 feet in the air and was dropped back down on her tires,” Iannuccilli said. She was not injured, he said: “She was shaken up more than anything.”The tornado moved through wooded areas and residential neighborhoods, but there were no reported injuries, Iannuccilli said. The tornado was confirmed by radar, and lifted tree limbs and other debris into the air, said Glenn Field, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Authorities were still investigating to see if there was additional damage from the tornado in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.Across New Englan...