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Owl smashes into window targeting Merrimack, NH family’s pet parrot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

A battle between birds startled one family in Merrimack, New Hampshire over the weekend as Merrimack resident Cynthia Auger said a wild owl twice slammed into her family’s window as she said it appeared to target their parrot, Buddy. Auger said she and her family were enjoying a quiet St. Patrick’s Day weekend at home on Saturday when the owl arrived. “We heard a couple of bangs in the other room, so we looked out the window and we saw a huge owl in the tree looking in the window,” Auger said. Auger said Buddy was perched in his cage right near the window. The owl’s attacks, Auger said, ruffled Buddy’s feathers.“When he saw the bird sitting in the snow, he definitely knew something was up and was terrified,” Auger said. Auger said she thought the owl was finally gone after the second attack. The confrontation, though, was far from over. Auger said she heard Buddy “flipping out,” flapping his wings and screeching. She said she moved to calm Buffy d...

Giants’ dinner with Gamecocks CB Cam Smith a tip on NFL Draft focus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

The Giants need corners, and their actions on the NFL Draft pro day circuit indicate they’re doing close homework on some of the top cover guys.A Giants contingent took projected first-round South Carolina corner Cam Smith out to dinner last week the night before the Gamecocks’ pro day, several sources told the Daily News.Meanwhile, some league sources say not to ignore Smith’s college teammate, 6-2, 198-pound corner Darius Rush, when Joe Schoen is on the clock in the middle rounds in late April.The 6-1, 180-pound Smith is a popular prospect with impressive length who “can play man coverage at outside corner and nickel” in the NFL, one coach said.Many scouts and coaches believe Smith could land in the late first round, which is where the Giants hold the No. 25 overall pick.But multiple sources pointed out that Rush has had the better spring, including a strong Senior Bowl and a 4.36 40-yard dash to Smith’s 4.43 at the NFL Combine.And as a converte...

San Diego businesses prepare for Styrofoam ban next month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The City of San Diego’s ban on single-use Styrofoam products takes effect in less than two weeks.The ban includes food containers, utensils and other food service items.So many restaurants and food outlets across the city are getting ready to make the adjustment as the deadline is April 1. The city council finalized the ban in December.Supporters say the ban is a win for the environment.“Of course it probably is going to be difficult at first, but I think we should do our part too, you know, move forward in protecting our environment in any small way we can," said Karen Infascelli, who works at Hill Crust Pizza in Hillcrest. It’s ‘ridiculicious’: Popular ‘best-burger’ joint opens first San Diego location At Crème de la Crepe in Hillcrest, manager David Alarid says his restaurant is looking for Styrofoam alternatives which are not as cheap.“It is bad for the environment which is, of course, something you know to be aware about. But it is cost effective, it keeps prices...

City of San Diego to host career fair

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego is holding a career fair this week in an attempt to fill a variety of open positions across various departments.The job fair will be held on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Balboa Park Club located at 2144 Pan American Road W.There are over 100 open positions on the city's website that job seekers can apply to. City staff will be on hand at the job fair to help attendees complete the application process. NWS warns of potential for damaging wind gusts, heavy rain in San Diego this week Attendees will be able to interview on the spot for several open positions, the city said in a tweet.You can find a full list of open positions on the City of San Diego job website.The city currently employs over 11,000 workers in a variety of different departments. In November, the city hosted a job fair to fill open positions in their Parks and Recreation Department.There is no entrance fee for the career fair and the event is open to all eligible applicants.

Saudi Arabia frees American imprisoned over critical tweets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Monday freed an American citizen, a 72-year-old Florida retiree, it had imprisoned for more than a year over his old tweets critical of the kingdom’s crown prince, his son said.Neither Saudi nor U.S. officials immediately confirmed the release of Saad al Madi, a longtime Florida, resident. But progress on his release had been rumored since last week.Madi on Monday night was at home with family members who live in Riyadh, said his son, Ibrahim al Madi, in the United States. Saudi officials dropped all charges against the elder Madi, a dual U.S.-Saudi citizen. But it was not immediately clear whether the kingdom would lift a travel ban it had imposed to follow the prison sentence.Saudi Arabia had sentenced Madi last year to 16 years in prison, saying his critical tweets about how the kingdom was being governed amounted to terrorist acts against it.As U.S. officials worked to win his release, and after President Joe Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia last ...

Australia charges ex-soldier with murder over Afghan killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Police have charged the first Australian veteran with murder for a killing in Afghanistan three years after a war crimes investigation found that 19 Australian special forces soldiers could face charges for illegal conduct.Former Special Air Service Regiment trooper Oliver Schulz, 41, was arrested in New South Wales state and charged by police with the war crime of murder, an Australian Federal Police statement said.“It will be alleged he murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan,” the statement said.Schulz’s charge was mentioned late Monday in a Queanbeyan court where his lawyer did not apply for his release on bail. Schulz was remanded in custody to appear in a Sydney court on May 16.Australian Broadcasting Corp. broadcast helmet camera video in 2020 of a soldier it said was Schulz shooting an Afghan man in 2012 in a wheat field in Uruzgan province.Schulz, who was awarded the Commendation for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan, fac...

Former police chief Mark Saunders to run for Mayor of Toronto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

Former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders confirmed he would run to become the city’s next mayor, citing a desire to make public transit safe for riders and expand affordable housing.Saunders served as police chief from 2015 to 2020, when he retired. Saunders was ultimately replaced by interim police chief James Ramer, who served until the recent appointment of Myron Demkiw.In a statement, Saunders specifically mentioned public transit security, noting, “If people don’t feel safe walking down the street or on the TTC, nothing else matters.”“We have many problems in Toronto to tackle, and it starts with public safety,” Saunders said. “I don’t want to see any more lockdowns of elementary schools. Not another story of a woman getting attacked on a streetcar. No more gangs shooting up townhouses where children are sleeping. Enough.”Saunders, the city’s first Black police chief, said Toronto is “at a tipping point” a...

New law puts Wyoming at forefront of abortion pill bans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming has pushed to the front of state efforts to prohibit the most common type of abortion by instituting the nation’s first explicit ban on pills that terminate pregnancies. In many states women can get abortion pills prescribed online and delivered to their homes. The ease and availability of pills have made that method the most popular way to end a pregnancy – more than half of all abortions are done with that method, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion access advocacy group.But 13 states now effectively ban abortion pills by prohibiting all forms of abortion, moves made after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last year.Fifteen states restrict access to the pills. Of those, six — Arizona, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota and South Carolina — require a doctor to administer them in person. Arizona also bans mailing abortion pills. But before a law signed Friday by Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gor...

Los Angeles schools to close as district workers plan strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tens of thousands of workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District planned to walk off the job Tuesday over stalled contract talks, and they will be joined in solidarity by teachers in a three-day strike that will shut down the nation’s second-largest school system. Demonstrations are expected at schools across the city by members of Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 30,000 teachers’ aides, special education assistants, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff.The workers were expected to join picket lines before dawn, demanding better wages and increased staffing. The district has more than 500,000 students from Los Angeles and all or part of 25 other cities and unincorporated county areas.Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho accused the union of refusing to negotiate and said that he was prepared to meet at any time day or night. He said Monday a “golden opportunity” to make progress ...

'Let's go girls': Shania Twain coming to Tinley Park this summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:32 GMT

TINLEY PARK, Ill. -- Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain will be in the Chicagoland area this summer for one night only.Shania Twain will host her "Queen of Me Tour" at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 1 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. Pitchfork Music Festival announces 2023 full lineup and concert dates Twain released her sixth studio album, "Queen of Me," on Feb. 3.She became widely known for her hit songs "Man! I Feel Like A Woman," "Any Man Of Mine," and "That Don't Impress Me Much."For ticket information, click here.