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US says it has suspended all food aid to Ethiopia after investigation finds ‘widespread’ theft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United States Agency for International Development said Thursday it has suspended all food aid to Ethiopia, Africa’s second most-populous country, after an internal investigation found aid intended for millions of hungry people there was being diverted on a “widespread” scale.While the agency’s statement did not say who was responsible for the theft, agency head Samantha Power, in briefing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this spring on initial discoveries of massive theft of food aid in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, said the theft appeared to “involve collusion between parties on both sides” in a government conflict with rebels there.Power at the time called her agency’s delay in detecting the “widespread and coordinated” theft of aid there “a systemic failure” by her agency.The U.S. is the biggest single donor to Ethiopia, providing $1.8 billion in humanitarian assistance, including food aid, in the 2...

Extinguished burn days before Marshall Fire believed to be part of the caus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Marshall Fire happened nearly a year and a half ago on Dec. 30, 2021, but investigators say they believe its origins may actually date to nearly a week earlier.It was determined that two separate fires created the Marshall Fire, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said Thursday. Watch: Boulder County announces cause of Marshall Fire The first started six days before the massive blaze ignited at a residential property located at 5325 Eldorado Springs Drive on Dec. 24. The residents there had conducted a fire to dispose of scrap wood and tree branches.That fire was reported by a passerby and firefighters from the Mountain View Fire Protection District and the sheriff's deputy responded. It was a cool, damp day, and there was a pool on the property."Given that there was a large water source on the property and the plan to cover the coals with dirt, the fire department believed the fire was being conducted responsibly," Johnson said. Boulder County sheriff los...

Denverites are avoiding credit card debt better than most

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Denverites are dodging debt better than most. Financial adviser site WalletHub analyzed credit card debt across the U.S.'s largest cities to see which is conforming most to a national trend. Across the nation, people have been racking up more and more credit card debt and paying back less and less of it in the face of the worst inflation in 40 years. Homeowners and renters both increasingly report having to put more of their basic expenses onto credit cards. Colorado 10th in US for getting by on credit cards "U.S. consumers are back to bad habits when it comes to credit card debt," the report reads. "Consumers added an all-time record $179.4 billion in new credit card debt to their tab during 2022. Now, consumers have started 2023 by paying down just $24 billion - the second-smallest first-quarter credit card debt paydown in the past decade." Denverites, though, apparently aren't under the same pressure as other cities. Between the first quarters of 2022 and 2023,...

Man allegedly sets fires in Walmart to attempt theft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Westminster Police Department is trying to identify a man accused of setting fires in a Walmart and then trying to steal jewelry and money. The attempted theft happened on Tuesday night at the Walmart located in the 7100 block of Sheridan Boulevard. Police said the suspect set several fires in the store to distract employees while he attempted to break into jewelry cases and cash registers. WPD said employees were able to put out the fires with the help of the Westminster Fire Department. No one was injured in the incident. Former teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student The man was unable to get into the cases and the registers, WPD said. Anyone with information on the incident or the suspect is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Police arrest man accused of exposing, touching self near school in Pembroke Pines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

Police have arrested a man accused of exposing and touching himself in broad daylight near a school in Pembroke Pines.Thirty-year-old Jorge Sarmiento Ramirez was taken into custody on Tuesday near Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School after a bicyclist saw him and yelled at him to stop before alerting police.Sarmiento Ramirez is being held on a $5,000 bond.

Retired Navy veteran falls victim to Miami remodeling scam; alleged couple responsible arrested

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

An 80-year-old retired and disabled US Navy veteran has become the latest victim of a fraudulent kitchen remodeling scheme.According to Homestead Police, Eileen Haran entrusted a hefty $10,000 of her hard-earned savings to Yes Pro Services Inc, a home remodeling company based in Miami. Little did she know that she would be left in the dust, with her dream kitchen incomplete and her money gone for a staggering two years.Haran, who had dedicated her life to serving her country, decided it was time to revamp her kitchen for a cozy retirement space. Full of excitement and hope, she approached Yes Pro Services Inc, paying a $10,000 deposit upfront to kick-start the project. The estimated cost for the complete remodel was quoted at $20,000.Initially, the remodeling venture seemed promising. However, as time went by, it became painfully clear that Yes Pro Services Inc had conned her, leaving her kitchen in chaos and herself in a financial quagmire.Credit: Homestead Police DepartmentCredit:...

Church community in Jamaica Plain reacts after homophobic messages spray painted on wall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

A church community in Jamaica Plain reacted on Thursday after someone spray painted homophobic messages on one of their church’s walls. Pastors at the First Baptist Church on Centre Street said they got a call telling them about the vandalism on Thursday morning. Speaking later in the day, pastors said they hope whoever is responsible finds the love they need. “This is everything that we stand against,” said pastor Ashlee Weist-Laird. “It’s very disconcerting, of course, to see this kind of message of hate posted on the wall of the church,” Weist-Laird continued. As crews worked to remove the spray paint, investigators began canvassing the surrounding neighborhood, where they found a can of spray paint left behind. The incident, Weist-Laird said, “obviously feels like an attempt of intimidation.”First Baptist Church pastors said they want the LGBTQ community to know they are loved and welcome at the church. “The transformative power of God is that it can red...

Reading elementary school students create ‘Art for the Sky’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

Students in Reading have a big space to fill — to create “Art for the Sky”! Only visible from the sky, students wear different colors to form a work of art.Daniel Dancer is the artist for the masterpiece. He travels around the United States to different schools to make art from the ground up. He made it to J.W. Killam Elementary School on Thursday. “It’s about gratitude because every one of these images is like a gift for the earth and the sky as a thank you for the all the blessings we get every single day,” Dancer said, “just being alive on this planet.”First, Dancer creates an outline on the grass. Then, the fun starts. More than 400 kids dressed in different colors pile into the design, with some direction.The students made a koala, their school mascot, that can only be seen from up above. The kids and staff were excited to be a part of such an important message.“I’m excited to see the koala with all of our school,” student Meghan Kane said.Lebeque also said a picture...

Students mark last day at Matignon as Cambridge Catholic school permanently closes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

It was an emotional day for some at the Matignon School in Cambridge Thursday as school let out for good, just over a month after leaders announced the school will not reopen in the fall. Matignon Board of Trustees President Marc-Anthony Hourihan signed the announcement sent to school community members early last month, citing financial challenges as the main reason for the Catholic school’s closure after 75 years of operation. On Thursday, students spent their last day saying goodbye to their teachers and snapping pictures in front of the Matignon sign with friends. Speaking with 7NEWS, some said they’re sad to go but excited for their next chapters.“On the last day in school, the teachers gave me some gifts and we had pictures,” one student said “We hugged each other. We miss each other.”“It was pretty sad, just because all the teachers are leaving, everyone’s leaving,” another student said. Parents also spoke, discussing the Matignon c...

Group sets up inflatable tube men at pond in Lynn to keep geese away

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:26 GMT

A group in Lynn has got creative to stop problematic geese, using inflatable tube men to help scare the birds away. The geese have made a mess at Goldfish Pond and the park around it, according to Sunil Gulab of the Goldfish Pond Association, with the number of geese increasing from year-to-year. One year, Gulab said, the city had to cordon off the area due to poor water quality in the pond.Gulab said community members tried other measures such as a cutout of a coyote and sparkling reflective ribbons to keep the geese at bay. After the geese adapted to the items, though, Gulab said the Goldfish Pond Association turned to the inflatable men. Purchased at auction, the inflatables go off on a timer, rising and dancing from spots within the Goldfish Pond area. To date, Gulab said they have been effective.“It might end up being the solution for this year,” he said. “But hopefully this chases them away.”