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Had pink eye recently? There’s a chance it could have been from new COVID-19 strain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

For some pollen allergy sufferers, eye irritation at this time of year is nothing new — but with the newest strain of COVID-19 circulating, local doctors are suggesting that if you have pink eye and a fever, you should test for COVID.The World Health Organization announced on Friday that COVID is no longer a global emergency, but the pandemic itself isn’t over and COVID continues to evolve.XBB.1.16, also known as Arcturus, is the newest subvariant of the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading throughout the U.S. and much of the world. Like many COVID variants and subvariants that came before it, Arcturus is believed to be the most infectious strain of COVID yet.“It does seem to be more transmissible than the last variant XBB.1.5,” Dr. Timothy Friel, chairman of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Department of Medicine in Pennsylvania, said. “That’s very telling because we thought XBB.1.5 was perhaps one of the most transmissible viruses that we’ve ever encountered.”Arcturus hasn’t become...

School bus drivers strike in Marlboro

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

School bus drivers took to picket lines in Marlboro Monday morning, after negotiators failed to agree on a contract through the weekend.“The Marlborough Public Schools has been notified that bus drivers will not be reporting to work today,” the district posted on their website early Monday, identifying walking routes and contingency plans for students and staff.The transportation company for the schools, North Reading Transportation, and Teamsters Local 170 union representing the drivers have reportedly been in negotiations since January.Another school bus driver strike was narrowly avoided in two neighboring districts. In Framingham, negotiators for NRT and the union reached a deal Sunday evening, a feat the school superintendent said felt like “a miracle.”In Westboro, no contract deal was reached, but drivers decided not to strike Monday as talks continue.An NRT spokesperson said the Marlboro talks are “centered around part-time jobs that currently ar...

Chelsea deadly stabbing: Woman dies after she was stabbed ‘numerous times’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

A 59-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a Chelsea residence Monday morning, according to police.The victim was “stabbed numerous times” in a dwelling on Lafayette Avenue, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s Office are investigating along with Chelsea Police.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Dorchester man accused of stabbing boyfriend 29 times then jumping out of 12th story window arraigned for murder Crime & Public Safety | Two missing Medford men found dead in Brighton storage unit “Active Death Investigation,” Chelsea Police tweeted. “Chelsea Police, along with State Police Detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden’s Office, are involved in an active death investigation at 44 Lafayette Ave. CPD and DA’s office will update as info becomes available.&...

May Gray continues with light rain, gusty winds arriving in San Diego

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- After a couple days of sunny skies, some more gusty winds and scattered showers are expected to come in later this week, as another low-pressure storm system heads to the region.Breezy winds Monday will be the first impact of the storm, the National Weather Service said. By Tuesday afternoon, these winds will develop to strong, gusty west winds that will persist into Wednesday evening.Isolated, peak gusts during this time, according to NWS, could reach speeds from around 60 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour in the mountain and desert areas.While no wind advisory has been put into place yet, NWS says that wind conditions could become hazardous for small crafts along coastal waters.Light precipitation could also develop across the coastal region Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. NWS forecasts that this local rainfall will likely not exceed a few hundredths of an inch near the coast to one-quarter of an inch near the mountains. Salutations in the Sun: 4 spots for y...

1 killed, several injured in North County crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A man was killed and several people were injured Sunday in a four-vehicle freeway crash in North County, officials said.According to the California Highway Patrol, the four-vehicle crash happened around 2:15 a.m. on southbound Interstate 15, south of Gopher Canyon Road in unincorporated San Diego County.The crash happened when a 32-year-old man driving a Dodge Challenger came to a stop in the #1 lane for unknown reasons, CHP Public Information Officer Hunter Gerber said in a news release.At that time, a 47-year-old man driving a Infinity G37 crashed into the back of the Dodge, which was followed by an Acura MDX crashing into the Infinity. The Acura then hit the side of a Honda CRV that was in the #2, lane according to CHP. Overturned Tesla prompts temporary lane closure on SR-94 CHP officers and emergency crews responded to the scene of the crash, where the driver of the Dodge was ultimately pronounced dead.The driver of the Infinity and his two passengers were transpo...

County officials vow to fight NYC mayor’s migrant bus plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Officials representing a suburban New York county where New York City’s mayor wants to send migrants for a four-month hotel stay vowed to fight the plan Monday through fines and a state of emergency.“We are not equipped to humanely assist these individuals, which eventually we’re going to have to do,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said at a news conference where he was joined by U.S. Rep Michael Lawler and other officials opposed to the plan. Day, a Republican, called Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to bus up to 300 single adult male migrants to hotels in Rockland and neighboring Orange counties “the same as throwing people out to the middle of the ocean who can’t swim and saying ‘go to shore.’ It can’t work.” Lawler, a Republican whose Hudson Valley district includes Rockland County, said he was “vehemently opposed to this plan which would shift the cost for housing, food and health care for folks who may be here illegally on to Rockland County and our municip...

Thousands march in silence in Serbia after mass shootings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands marched in silence on Monday in Serbia in a major outpouring of grief and anger against the populist government and how it reacted after two mass shootings last week that left 17 people dead and 21 wounded, many of them children.The gatherings in Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad were dubbed “Serbia against violence.” They were called by opposition parties, which demanded the resignations of government ministers and the withdrawal licenses to the state controlled mainstream media that promote violence and often host convicted war criminals and crime figures on their programs.After the protest officially ended, some of the protesters chanted slogans against Serbia’s increasingly autocratic president, Aleksandar Vucic, demanding that he step down, as they passed by government headquarters in Belgrade.The shootings — on Wednesday in Belgrade at an elementary school, and on Thursday in a rural area south of the capital — left the nation s...

Wildfires continue in Alberta as premier, prime minister discuss aid plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has received an assurance of support from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the province’s battle against wildfires.Smith says she and Trudeau spoke by phone, and Alberta has sent a letter to the federal government that outlines a request for assistance.Trudeau says the federal government will work with the Red Cross to set up a matching fund to help Albertans affected by the fires.He says the federal government will be offering support but did not divulge specifics.About 29,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in several communities in recent days as more than 100 fires remain active.On the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, more than 40 structures, mostly homes, have been lost.Darryel Sowan, the emergency management communications co-ordinator, says some 3,700 people left the area quickly after the evacuation order was put in place last week.There is no road into the community, so people had to us...

Liberals move to speed up gun-bill debate, Conservatives call move undemocratic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are moving to ensure gun-control legislation makes its way through committee soon by asking the House of Commons for the green light to limit debate and expand the bill’s scope to cover new elements.The move comes as the Liberals announce renewal of their multimillion-dollar program to fight gang violence and gun crime.A federal motion being debated in the Commons today would ensure recent amendments to the bill are within the scope of the legislation, including a definition of assault-style firearms to be prohibited.The motion would also limit the time devoted to consideration of each clause or amendment, and ensure additional committee time during the evening to scrutinize the bill.Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho calls the Liberal move a circumvention of the democratic process.Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the government is earmarking $390 million over the next five years for provinces and territories, in...

North Dakota governor OKs law to ignore transgender pronouns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:12 GMT

North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has signed a bill into law that allows public school teachers and state government employees to ignore the pronouns their transgender students and colleagues use, the governor’s office announced Monday.The new law also requires teachers to tell a parent or legal guardian if the student identifies as transgender. It also prohibits transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice without prior approval from a parent or guardian.It is effective immediately.Burgum said in a statement that the new law “largely codifies existing practices while reaffirming the First Amendment right to free speech … balancing the rights and interests of students, parents and teachers.”Opponents countered that the state’s Republican leaders are violating the constitutional rights of students and teachers by compelling the speech of adults and potentially exposing children to dangerous repercussions if an abusive parent doesn̵...