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Toy gun confiscated on school bus in Hopkinton; incident comes as ‘Orbeez Challenge’ on TikTok continues

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

Parents: Be on the lookout for toy guns, local officials say.A school bus in Hopkinton had to evacuate Wednesday morning when the driver recognized a student had a toy that resembled a “real weapon,” district officials said in a letter to parents.Police, along with middle and high school administrators, responded to the scene, and students in the back of the bus were “patted down and the contents of their bags were also searched by HPD officers.”Police confiscated the toy gun, officials said. They did not disclose the product’s brand and make, and the investigation remained ongoing Wednesday afternoon.Hopkinton is not the only municipality across the region that has seen recent instances of children possessing and using toy guns.Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty issued a stern notice to her community Monday, saying gel ball blasters, often referred to as ‘Orbeez guns,’ are prohibited on all town property and businesses, particularly at the library and on fields, school property an...

Southbridge educators ‘condemn’ administrators’ response to firearm incident

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

A video of a gun in school — and the hunt for that weapon — has teachers hitting the alarm.The Southbridge Education Association is alleging “monumental failures” by the district leadership in handling the report of a student who had a firearm on the middle/high school campus in March.“To date, there has not been a full accounting of the events that led to an arrest and left our students and school staff exposed to a serious threat for several hours,” the union wrote. “There also has been no effort to assess how to better handle situations that threaten the lives of our students and staff.”The incident in question took place on March 13 when a student posted a video in a Southbridge Middle/High School bathroom with a gun, according to the union’s account.Superintendent Jeffrey Villar — who was appointed by the state to oversee the district after it went into receivership — and school administrators were notified of th...

Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in San Diego for 2023, according to Tripadvisor

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Chinese food consistently ranks at the top of favorite cuisines in the U.S. year after year (often neck and neck with Mexican food as the #1 favorite). In fact, there are more than 40,000 across all 50 states.However, most Chinese food you find in the U.S. is really American-Chinese food, and many of the most popular Chinese dishes were created in the U.S., including General Tso's chicken and chop suey.Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Chinese restaurants in San Diego on Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Read on to see the most popular Chinese restaurants in your area.#23. Royal Mandarin- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (56 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.0/5), Value (4.5/5), Atmosphere (3.5/5)- Price: $$ - $$$- Address: 1132 E Plaza Blvd Ste 205, National City, CA 91950-3556- Read more on Tripadvisor#22. Emerald Chinese Cuisine- Rating: 3.5 / 5 (88 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (3.0/5), Service (3.0/...

San Diego is priciest US city for night out, study shows

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Planning for a night out in San Diego? Well, you better be prepared to pay.America's Finest City was determined the most expensive U.S. city for a night out, according to a study conducted by Pricelisto. The consumer price transparency platform that shows pricing data of restaurants, fitness gyms, beauty salons, movie theaters and other activities, found the average cost for a night out in San Diego is $225.27. Snag tickets to the 2023 San Diego County Fair Concert Series According to Pricelisto, San Diego has the second most expensive pint of beer for $8 while placing third for the most expensive hotel stay at $167.28.Charlotte, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Columbus, Ohio rounded out the top five most expensive U.S. cities, the study revealed.The report collected cost-of-living data from each U.S. city with a population exceeding 500,000 to find out the average price of a cocktail, cab fare for a three-mile journey, a bottle of wine, a pint ...

Dates for 'America's Air Show' in Miramar announced

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The Miramar Airshow is now called "America's Airshow," according to local military officials. Aviation enthusiasts can catch the free event on Sept. 22-24 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.“This is not just the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Airshow; this is the largest military air show in America. Come see ‘America’s Airshow’ and hear a story of innovation that spans a century of American military aviation,” Col. Thomas M. Bedell with MCAS Miramar stated in a press release Wednesday. Snag tickets to the 2023 San Diego County Fair Concert Series This year's air show features demonstrations from the Marine Corps' F-35B, Marine Air-Ground Task Force and the renowned Blue Angels. For upgraded seating options, tickets will be on sale July 14.Guests will also have the opportunity to learn about the history of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Coyotes file $2.3 billion claim against Phoenix over arena

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes appeared to have finally found an answer to their arena issues by working out a deal to build an entertainment district in Tempe.A snag with the city of Phoenix now puts that in doubt, adding another layer to the franchise’s long-running bid to find a permanent home.The Coyotes and the firm the franchise hired to develop a new arena project near Sky Harbor International Airport filed a $2.3 billion notice of claim against the city of Phoenix on Wednesday for alleged breach of contract.The claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, that was filed along with Bluebird Development is seeking damages from Phoenix for a legal filing by the city March 27. Phoenix asked in its legal filing to rescind Tempe’s recent zoning and land-use changes, along with prohibiting future residential considerations in an area the FAA says is incompatible with residential development.The city and Sky Harbor said the plan for the Tempe Entertainment District, which w...

Arkansas lawmakers OK restrictions on trans student pronouns

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A bill that would require parental approval for Arkansas teachers to address transgender students by the pronouns and names that they use is headed to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ desk.The bill was approved Wednesday by the majority-Republican Senate on a 19-5 vote. It requires parental approval for teachers at public schools, including colleges and universities, to use a minor student’s pronoun that is “inconsistent” with the student’s biological sex or a name that’s not listed on the student’s birth certificate. It also would prohibit schools from requiring teachers to use the pronouns or name a student uses.The bill is among a wave of bills being considered in statehouses that would formally allow or require schools to deadname transgender students or out them to their parents without consent. Transgender students, who already are at high risk of bullying and depression, have said the measures would make schools feel even more unsafe.Supporters of t...

Kansas lawmakers OK bill on live deliveries during abortions

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature. The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that’s made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue. The Kansas House voted 86-36 to approve a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law similar to a proposed law that Montana voters rejected in November. The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.The Senate voted...

Man dead after being struck by falling tree in Markham

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

York Regional Police say a man died after being struck by a falling tree in Markham on Wednesday.Officials were called to the 19th Avenue and Highway 48 area near Dickson Hill Road around 6 p.m.A duty inspector tells CityNews that a man was cutting a tree when it shifted and hit him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the official said.It’s not being treated as suspicious.About 800,000 people in Ontario and Quebec were without power Wednesday after a messy mix of freezing rain and thunderstorms battered parts of both provinces.York-Durham and other regions in southern Ontario were under weather warnings, including a rainfall warning, for most of the day, but they were mostly lifted once the heavy rain subsided in the evening.

Arkansas House OKs social media age verification requirement

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:12:05 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas children would need their parents’ OK to access social media sites under a bill Arkansas lawmakers advanced Wednesday, moving the state closer toward becoming the second to enact restrictions that critics say raise privacy and enforcement concerns.The majority-Republican House approved by an 82-10 vote the restrictions, which have the support of GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The proposal goes back to the Senate, which approved an earlier version of the bill, for one more vote before it can head to Sanders’ desk.“It is a bill designed to create a level of protection for our young people,” Republican Rep. Jon Eubanks, the bill’s House sponsor, said before representatives approved the measure without any debate.The proposal is similar to a first-in-the-nation law that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed last month. Several other states are considering similar measures, touted by supporters as a way to protect children.Sanders last month a...