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Lottery’s $177,752 chief marketing officer placed on paid leave

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

The Chief Marketing Officer at the Massachusetts State Lottery has been suspended with pay and without a cause offered.Lottery CMO Edward Farley has been out of the office since early November, according to an agency spokesperson. No reason was given for Farley’s temporary ouster from his $177,752 per year position, nor was an end date for his leave provided.“He is currently on paid administrative leave, effective November 8,” a lottery spokesman told the Herald when asked to respond to rumors of Farley’s removal. “As a matter of policy, the Lottery does not discuss personnel matters.”A spokesperson for State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who oversees the state lottery, referred questions on the matter to lottery staff.Farley has been with the lottery since at least 2015, serving as both assistant executive director and chief administrative officer before taking the role as the head of the agency’s marketing efforts in the summer of 2022.At the end of October, the lottery’s marketin...

Light rain expected in San Diego area through Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego area has transitioned to a cloudy and cool middle of the week, so expect on and off light showers through Friday.An area of low pressure moving across California will bring chances of rain along with gusty westerly winds and cooler temperatures the next couple of days. Around 1 p.m., radar showed a few pockets of rain moving through central and southern parts of San Diego County. Light rainfall accumulations are expected with these passes which has caused models to trend downward in recent runs. December Nights: What to know about the two-day event at Balboa Park A tenth up to half an inch of rainfall is expected for beaches and inland valleys by Friday morning. Mountains could get up to three-quarters of an inch of rain in that same time frame.Best chances for rain will be late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with southern parts of the county receiving higher accumulations.Snow levels remain relatively high with this system, but are exp...

Shoppers, watch out for these scams this holiday season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- They seem reasonable, they look exactly like a vendor you trust and the offer is just too good to resist. The FBI is putting out a warning about the potential to be scammed. It happens all year, but especially during the holidays. Whether it’s through charity, online shopping or social media, we all need to do some investigating before clicking.FBI Public Affairs Officer Kira Boyd offers this guidance: “Social media scams, online shopping scams, we all see those really cool deals from a vendor. You want to be wary of those. Don't want to click on those ads because a lot of times, scammers." December Nights: What to know about the two-day event at Balboa Park With the ease and popularity of performing most tasks online, it’s not hard to see how one can become a victim. Last year, San Diegans lost $2.6 million to scams, and more than $320,000 of that total happened during the holidays.“It's the method that’s changed, the technique that scammers use," Boyd adde...

Iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center to be illuminated

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center will be lit Wednesday night by more than 50,000 multicolored lights as crowds gather in New York City for the holiday tradition. The massive tree — a 12 ton, 80-foot-tall Norway spruce from upstate New York — will be illuminated by about five miles (8 kilometers) of LED string lights and topped with a 900-pound star covered in 3 million gleaming crystals.An opening night ceremony in Manhattan will feature appearances by Cher, Barry Manilow and Kelly Clarkson, among others. The Radio City Rockettes will also perform.Starting in the 1930s, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition has drawn thousands of visitors to the city each year during the holiday season.Following its initial lighting on Wednesday, the tree will remain lit from 5 a.m. to midnight every day until Jan. 13. On Christmas day, it’ll be lit 24 hours.Police have warned of the potential for protesters to interrupt the event, as recent gatherings ...

Senator: White House not seeking conditions on military aid to Israel, despite earlier Biden comment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told lawmakers this week that the White House is not seeking to place conditions on U.S. military assistance to Israel, days after President Joe Biden signaled openness to the notion that was being pushed by some Democrats as the civilian death toll in Gaza from Israel’s war against Hamas climbed. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who was among lawmakers who met privately with Sullivan on Tuesday, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Sullivan “made it clear that the White House is not asking for any conditionality in aid. So I want to leave that very clear.” A second person directly familiar with the meeting confirmed the account.Sullivan was on Capitol Hill to discuss questions from Senate Democrats about how the administration would ensure that any U.S. weapons provided to Israel are used in accord with U.S. law.Some lawmakers have suggested that the U.S. place conditions on the types of military assistance and how ...

Iowa Lottery posted wrong Powerball numbers — but temporary ‘winners’ get to keep the money

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Powerball losers in Iowa were actually winners for about seven hours this week after the state’s lottery mistakenly posted the wrong winning numbers for the game.Lottery officials blamed an unspecified “human reporting error” for the wrong numbers being posted for Monday night’s Powerball drawing. The incorrect numbers were posted on the Iowa Lottery’s website about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday and it took until 7:15 a.m. before anyone noticed the mistake, took down the numbers and halted payoffs.The lottery said the initial, incorrect numbers would have resulted in prizes ranging from $4 to $200 — officials didn’t specify how many people won. Anyone who got up early and cashed in a winning ticket will be able to keep the money.Monday night’s Powerball jackpot was for an estimated $355 million.The lottery had to work until 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to correct its system and resume cashing winning Powerball tickets. With the correct numbers, 3,998 ...

Officer and suspect killed in a shootout after a traffic stop in southwest Colorado

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

CORTEZ, Colo. (AP) — A police officer and a suspect were killed in a shootout following a traffic stop in southwest Colorado on Wednesday, authorities said.Police say the officer, whose name has not been released, was shot after pulling over a vehicle shortly before noon in the rural town of Cortez in the Four Corners region, where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado meet. The suspects fled in their vehicle, and shots were exchanged with police a short time later.One of the suspects was shot and died at the scene. Another was taken into custody.The injured police officer was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. No other information has been released.The Associated Press

Candidates for Assembly of First Nations national chief face off in Winnipeg forum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

WINNIPEG — The six candidates vying to be the next national chief of the organization that represents more than 600 First Nations in Canada explained how they would advocate for treaty rights, sovereignty and health issues during a forum a week before the election. Four of the major groups representing First Nations in Manitoba hosted the event in Winnipeg on Wednesday to hear from those running to lead the Assembly of First Nations. Chiefs or proxies attended and were given the opportunity to ask questions. The election follows the dramatic ouster of former national chief RoseAnne Archibald, who was voted out after colleagues accused her of creating a toxic work environment — an allegation she has denied. The candidates running to replace her are Reginald Bellerose, Craig Makinaw, Sheila North, David Pratt, Dean Sayers and Cindy Woodhouse. Grand Chief Jerry Daniels, with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, said leaders are looking forward to a change at the national level. ...

FBI agent carjacked in Washington, latest in string of high-profile carjackings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI agent was carjacked Wednesday in Washington, D.C., a theft that comes amid a sharp increase in the number of carjackings in the nation’s capital.Two people carried out the midafternoon armed carjacking, police said. The car was found about 30 minutes later about a mile away, Metropolitan Police said. The FBI’s Washington field office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s carjacking task force are investigating, the FBI said in a statement. Carjackings in the nation’s capital have more than doubled this year, up 104%. Recent victims include a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas. He was carjacked near the Capitol in October by three armed assailants, who stole his car but didn’t physically harm him.Earlier this month, Secret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle. No one was struck.Violent crime in ...

Vaughan residents, business owners want City to crack down on illegal land use

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:06 GMT

A group of Vaughan residents and business owners are calling on the City to put the brakes on illegal land use in agricultural areas, saying it’s out of control, especially in the Kleinburg area.If you drive along Cold Creek Road in the Kleinburg area of Vaughan you’ll notice trucks and sea containers being stored up and down the street.“I see lands being used for truck yards, rather than for agriculture,” said Ron Sant, co-owner of George Sant and Sons Greenhouses on Cold Creek Road. “This land is zoned agriculture right now.”John Bartella lives just north of the area. He says the illegal land use and illegal dumping in Vaughan is affecting his quality of life in King.“We have construction yards setting up shop in these areas making noise continuously throughout the day. “There’s a lot of dust going into the air from all the gravel and other materials being moved.”Bartella says the City has done little to help resolve the issue, but area councill...