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Somerville school closes for remainder of the year, leaving parents uncertain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

Hundreds of Somerville parents are unsure where they’ll be sending their children to school later this week after a piece of concrete “fell onto a stairwell” in a pre-kindergarten-grade 8 school, forcing it to close for the remainder of the academic year.District officials alerted parents and staff Friday that the Winter Hill Community Innovation School would not be reopening as a “small section of concrete fell onto a stairwell inside of the school,” and students would be finishing their years elsewhere, beginning Thursday.The incident happened sometime “this week, outside of operating hours,” according to a Thursday evening letter from Superintendent Jeff Curley, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Winter Hill Principal Courtney Gosselin. They did not specify when the ceiling collapsed.Friday marked the first day of the closure.Uma Murugan, president of the school’s parent teacher association, had not, as of Saturday afternoon, received a relocation plan for where her 9-year-...

Revolution battle New York City FC to scoreless draw

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic reversed a disturbing trend with his sixth clean sheet of the season.The Revolution (7-3-6) recorded their third straight draw in eight days with a 0-0 tie against New York City FC on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Petrovic was bombarded with 20 shots and made stellar saves on NYCFC’s five shots on target to secure the point.“He was steady throughout the game with good distribution and it was good to get a clean sheet again,” said Revolution head coach Bruce Arena. “Djordje has been punished by some poor defending in front of him the last couple of games so it was good to see him get a clean sheet.”The Revolution are 0-2-3 over a five-game winless streak and going into Yankee Stadium, they had given up 11 goals in four games. The Revolution needed the kind of turnaround Petrovic provided as they are set to begin a three-game homestand against Inter-Miami on June 10.“Djordje is Djordje, I think he is the best in the league,” s...

Homecoming on film: Award-winning Mariupol documentary screened for 1st time in Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The award-winning film “20 Days in Mariupol” made its premiere in Ukraine on Saturday, seen for the first time by some of the Ukrainian medics and first responders who were chronicled in the documentary about how Russian forces bombed and blasted their way into the southeastern port city last year. Repeated standing ovations in a packed Kyiv cinema, mixed with tears and hugs, greeted those Ukrainian civil servants who toiled nearly non-stop in and around a Mariupol hospital that was a centerpiece of the film about the city early on in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. For some, the screening served as an unsettling flashback to their own brush with death in the city — a fate inescapable for untold numbers of other victims of Russia’s invasion, including toddlers, infants and expectant mothers whose final moments were caught on video shown in the film. “It was very hard emotionally because it reminded me of when we were leaving...

What led Capitol Police to stop a youth performance of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

Video of a children’s choir singing the national anthem in the U.S. Capitol, only to be unceremoniously cut off by federal authorities, spread across social media on Friday.Capitol Police say singers from Rushingbrook Children’s Choir from Greenville, South Carolina, were stopped May 26 because of a miscommunication. Musical performances in the hallowed seat of Congress require permission, and police said officers had been unaware that the choir had approval from the House speaker. Capitol Police denied choir leaders’ claims that the performance was stopped because it might be found offensive. Choir director David Rasbach and Micah Rea, a choir leader who helped organize the trip, told The Associated Press that they worked with the offices of Reps. William Timmons, Joe Wilson and Russell Fry, all Republicans from South Carolina, to get permission for the performance. They said they were informed the visit was approved by the office of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.Afte...

DeSantis signs Bible, Pence hops on motorcycle at ‘Roast and Ride’ event in Iowa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Amid plates of sliced pork, statement-making leather ensembles and piles of political T-shirts, eight Republican presidential hopefuls descended on Iowa to pitch themselves to voters and, in Mike Pence’s case, hop on a motorcycle.The former vice president and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were among the White House contenders appearing at a rally at the state fairgrounds near Des Moines hosted by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Her annual political event, the “Roast and Ride” — a combination barbecue-rally and motorcycle ride — kicks off a busy summer campaign season heading into the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses early next year.Former President Donald Trump, the leading GOP presidential candidate, was notably absent after spending two days in the state this past week. He has largely avoided any events that have him sharing the stage with his 2024 rivals.DeSantis, with his wife, Casey, and three young kids in tow, chatted with voters, gave out autographs...

10th annual 'Party 4 Peace' held in Hadiya Pendleton's memory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

CHICAGO — Friends, family and community members gathered Saturday to celebrate Hadiya Pendleton, a young life taken too soon.It's been more than a decade since 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed at a park in the Kenwood neighborhood in 2013. 4 MONTHS AGO: Sunday marks 10th anniversary of Hadiya Pendleton’s death Pendleton would have turned 25 this weekend so, in her honor, the annual party was thrown for members of the community, which included good food, entertainment and conversation, alongside the Pendleton family's continued advocacy speaking out against gun violence."Every year for her birthday, I try to celebrate the fact that she lived," said Cleopatra Crowley-Pendleton, Hadiya's mother."Today is about happiness, today is about partying today is about forgetting our griefs," said Nate Pendleton, Hadiya's father.The family hopes the annual party continues to keep the memory of Hadiya alive, and encourages the community to come together when it's needed most. ...

Businesses, fans excited for Taylor Swift in Chicago this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

CHICAGO — Businesses in the South Loop are feeling good this weekend as thousands packed the downtown area, a majority of which were there to see the one-and-only Taylor Swift."We've had these tickets for six months and I've been waiting for this for a long time," said Eva Lynch, a Taylor Swift fan from Mount Pleasant, Michigan."Oh my gosh I love her," said Avery Wilson, another Taylor Swift fan from Mount Pleasant. "I love all the eras and how she's been able to put out music for so long." Chicago’s Willis Tower antennas light up for Taylor Swift While fans like Lynch and Wilson are living out their dreams of seeing one of their favorite artists perform, businesses in and around the South Loop are excited about the influx of business, and have prepared Taylor Swift-themed food and drink items for the occasion.Triple chocolate shake and a patty melt on a brioche bun — one of Taylor Swift's favorite meals — served at Burger Bar Chicago."We actually have a triple chocolate shake. It...

Faith and Mental Health: A South Side church hosts suicide prevention workshop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

CHICAGO — A South Side Church was at the intersection of faith and mental health Saturday, as they hosted a workshop with the intention of helping educate Chicago clergy and other religious leaders on how to save lives in marginalized communities.Soul Shop for Black Churches was the force behind the workshop held at Trinity United Church of Christ in Washington Heights Saturday. The non-profit gives tools to those in ministry so they can be positive forces in preventing a growing concern in Black communities across the country:Suicide."It’s not only about information—it’s about overcoming the emotional parts of the conversation," said Tandra Rutledge, Director of Healthcare Systems Initiative at the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP). "The fear, the stigma, the shame, and it’s about helping our faith leaders develop the strategies they need to really incorporate into ministry, into bible teaching, into bible preaching—ways to help individuals talk about suicide, talk a...

'SBEV:' School enrichment program opens to help youth excel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

CHICAGO — The Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village, or SBEV for short, is officially open with programming designed to help young people excel. "SBEV is an amazing program for students k-8th grade we have an extended after school enrichment program," said Rasheika Singleton, the director of SBEV Chicago. The SBEV Chicago Impact Center opened their doors at 54th and State Street on the second floor of a former school, owned by the neighboring XS Tennis. Later this month, the organization will launch a six weeklong summer program that’s completely free. "Our goal here is to improve the community [and] offer the opportunity to explore a variety of programs," Singleton said. ‘Wear Orange Day’: Peace March and Rally held on National Gun Violence Awareness Day The Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village was named after an activist from Flint Michigan — where the first location opened in 2015 in the middle of the Flint Water Crisis.The organization is affiliated with Insight Hospital that t...

50 Cyclists 'Bike Across Chicago' to benefit after-school programs in underserved communities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:43 GMT

CHICAGO — Fifty cyclists embarked on a 50-mile tour across Chicago Saturday to raise money for an after-school program committed to helping children in underserved communities.By The Hand Club For Kids is an after-school program designed to "take kids by the hand" and help them navigate their educational journey, from kindergarten all the way to college. 10th annual ‘Party 4 Peace’ held in Hadiya Pendleton’s memory The club's roots began more than two decades ago with 16 children from Cabrini Green. Now-a-days, it serves more than 1,700 kids at club facilities on the City's South and West Sides.In addition to raising money for the organization Saturday, cyclists also stopped at 'By The Hand' sites across the City in an effort to highlight different programs run by the club.