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Mass. man completes Appalachian Trail at 71 to raise money for good cause

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

  An East Templeton man raised thousands of dollars for a noble cause by hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail at the age of 71.David Manca says he completed the daunting, 2,200-mile-long trail in a little more than four months. His journey started down in Georgia and wrapped up in Maine. “I’ve done a couple short hikes but not a hiker per se,” Manca said of his hiking experience prior to the monumental undertaking.He said he walked 10 to 12 hours each day and faced extreme weather and physical obstacles.“There were a few quite dangerous and when you get to river you hike alone no one there to watch you cross if something happens, you’re on your own,” he said.The driving force keeping him going was the donations he was raising for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which raises money to support programs that honor first responders and military personnel who make extraordinary sacrifices every day. Manca, a veteran from a military family, said i...

Crowds flock to Boston’s North End for Feast of St. Agrippina festivities

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

Hundreds of people made their way to the Feast of St. Agrippina in Boston’s North End on Sunday for fun, festivities, food, and faith in keeping a more-than-a-century-old tradition alive in the city.Many of those gathered said the traditional feast and parade of the statue on Hanover Street means the world to them and keeping the celebration alive is all about passing the tradition on to the next generations of Boston residents.Many North End restaurant owners and area vendors were out dishing out their food and there was face painting and other fun activities for kids.The feast was the first of four to be held in the North End.

More rain on the way

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

Showers and storms are back in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday as a storms system moves in from the Midwest. On Monday expect a mostly cloudy day with a few showers possible from time to time as a warm front passes through the area. By early Tuesday morning a cold front moves in with scattered thunderstorms likely. A few of these storms could be severe, with the main risk being high wind gusts and localized flash flooding. Although less likely, hail and even a brief spin-up tornado cannot be ruled out. After the storms Tuesday morning, a few lingering storms my fire Tuesday afternoon. These storms should be less severe as they will be behind the cold front, but could at least pile on the rain amounts.

Suspect in custody after 9-hour standoff with police

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

A man was taken into custody in the early hours Sunday after a nearly nine-hour standoff with police in a barricaded Charlestown apartment, according to the Boston police.“All residents within the vicinity are very scared, very uncomfortable, very worried and feel unsafe,” a resident of the same floor of Mezzo Design Lofts at 30 Caldwell St. in Charlestown told the Herald during the standoff Saturday night.The woman, a four-year resident of the building, asked to remain anonymous.Boston police were called to the scene around 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon based on reports of an emotional disturbed person in the building, according to department spokesperson Officer Michael Torigian.Upon arrival, witnesses informed officers the individual was armed with some sort of firearm or shotgun. At 4:46 p.m., police declared a “Code 99,” which can mean a number of situations, including a barricaded suspect.The neighbor said the building, a four-story apartment with around...

Jake Meyers, other Astros go deep to split series with Yankees

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

The Yankees had a chance to win their four-game series against the Astros on Sunday, but they had to settle for a split after Houston won the finale, 9-7, by launching four home runs.Two of those came from the Astros’ No. 8 hitter, Jake Meyers. The outfielder crushed a pair of three-run shots in the second and sixth innings. The initial homer, hit off Carlos Rodón, followed a missed check-swing call on Jeremy Peña.The Astros’ other longballs were supplied by Yordan Alvarez and Martín Maldonado in the third and sixth innings, respectively. Alvarez drilled a two-run blast to right.The Yankees actually started the homer parade when Gleyber Torres went deep with no one on in the first inning, but most of their runs came from going station to station with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. That frame saw the Yankees score runs on a Harrison Bader single, an Anthony Volpe hit-by-pitch and walks from Jake Bauers and Aaron Judge.Torres added an RBI double in t...

Revolution back DeJuan Jones at home in international play

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

New England Revolution left back DeJuan Jones has been binging on international opposition both in and out of MLS since the start of the year.Jones will face his third straight LIGA MX opponent from Mexico when the Revolution host Queretaro Futbol Club in the Leagues Cup tournament Round of 16 on Monday night (8) at Gillette Stadium.Jones got tossed into the international arena when he was selected to the U.S. National Team’s 23-man roaster for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.Jones, 26, made four appearances for the U.S. team during the Gold Cup Group Stage that included 90-minute starts in the second and third matches.Jones had two previous call-ups to compete in a pair of friendlies in California and made his international debut with a 26-minute effort against Serbia on Jan. 26. Jones made his first international start four days later and played 90 minutes in a scoreless tie against Columbia.Revolution interim head coach Richie Williams participated in international competition with th...

Saint Aggripina Feast kicks off month of North End celebrations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

The 109th annual Feast of Saint Agrippina flooded the North End with Italian delicacies, music and entertainment, kicking off a month of celebrations.An opening ceremony and procession for the Saint Agrippina feast was held on Thursday. The four-day celebration honors Saint Agrippina di Mineo, the patron saint of thunderstorms, evil spirits, and leprosy. Legend states she was martyred and tortured to death in 256 A.D. by the emperor Valerian.Children of the Saint Agrippina Society led Thursday night’s procession, ushering in three consecutive days of live entertainment, DJs, raffles, and a myriad of vendors. Streets were lined with red, white and gold confetti, with religious relics and statues on display.On Sunday, the festival’s grand procession wound through the neighborhood.The North End will be home to feasts for the rest of the month, with the Madonna Della Cava Feast taking place Aug. 11-12 on Hanover and Battery Streets. The Madonna Della Cava Feast is always held in B...

Groups sue to block Biden’s second try on student loans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

Two conservative groups are asking a federal court to block the Biden administration’s plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers.In a lawsuit filed Friday in Michigan, the groups argue that the administration overstepped its power when it announced the forgiveness in July, just weeks after the Supreme Court struck down a broader cancellation plan pushed by President Joe Biden.It asks a judge to rule the cancellation illegal and stop the Education Department from carrying it out while the case is decided. The suit was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance on behalf of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Cato Institute.The Education Department called the suit “a desperate attempt from right wing special interests to keep hundreds of thousands of borrowers in debt.”“We are not going to back down or give an inch when it comes to defending working families,” the department said in a statement.It’s part of...

Thunderstorms possible for Monday and Tuesday but give way to a dry midweek

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

It might be another mostly rainy week in the Boston area, with thunderstorms to start but a few potentially very nice days on the horizon.According to the National Weather Service, the weekend’s perfect weather will give way to a 50% chance of showers Monday morning that increases to a real possibility for thunderstorms by the evening.“Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy and we’ll have a chance of showers moving in through the afternoon, highs in the upper 70s, showers with thunderstorms for Monday night and some of those thunderstorms could produce some heavy rain,” Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the NWS, told the Herald.Light winds overnight Monday should bring temperatures down to the upper 60s through the night and into Tuesday morning. Dunham said the high chance for thunderstorms and heavy rain continues through the day on Tuesday and that temperature could reach 81 degrees. Temps will likely fall to the mid-60s by the evening, when the chances of rain will also drop to fifty-fi...

Tropical Storm Eugene may bring isolated storms to San Diego County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Tropical Storm Eugene is brewing off the Baja California coast and is moving west-northwest, which could mean rain and isolated storms midweek for parts of San Diego County.That's according to the National Hurricane Center, which also warned of the possibility of Eugene becoming a hurricane Sunday. Weather officials now anticipate the storm to weaken into Monday.San Diego temperatures proved warm Sunday, especially in the inland areas with some areas hitting highs in the triple digits, the National Weather Service reported. The region's desert also remained under an Excessive Heat Warning with NWS warning of "dangerously hot conditions."Looking ahead, weather officials say those in the region can expect more humidity and muggy conditions into Wednesday as Tropical Storm Eugene weakens. According to NWS, the diminishing tropical storm may provide a chance for isolated showers and storms midweek. San Diego Weather Radar Though NWS expressed lower confidence on the poss...