By JOHN O’CONNOR, Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Fifteen months after Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had called 911 for help, was killed in her home, the former police officer who fired the fatal shot is set to go on trial. Sean Grayson, 31, a former deputy for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in central Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder. FILE – Donna Massey, center right, wipes tears from her face as she listens to Rev. Al... Read More
New Fort Lauderdale City Hall to open by 2028, mayor says. Next up: Choosing a builder
Three years from now, Fort Lauderdale should have a new City Hall to replace the one it lost when floodwaters destroyed the building in April 2023. It’s too early to say what the building will look like, how tall it will be or how much it will cost. But this much is sure: The new building will be nothing like the old building. “Fort Lauderdale has grown in the last 60 years and so have the needs,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said. “The old City Hall reflected a bygone era. Today we are... Read More
Flashy upgraded venues, from Pier Sixty-Six to Las Olas Marina, beckon at annual Fort Lauderdale boat show
From the newly revamped Las Olas Marina to the all new luxury Pier Sixty-Six Resort, tens of thousands of marine enthusiasts will find a fresh array of exhibit spaces, restaurants and places to play when the 66th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show kicks off next week. Tickets went on sale more than a month ago for the show, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 people and 1,300-plus vessels including superyachts and recreational vessels at venues on both sides of the Intracoastal... Read More
New AI-driven tech can help your hearing loss, but will Medicare cover it?
When Joanne Rosen enters a noisy restaurant, the artificial intelligence in her hearing aid listens to sounds and makes adjustments so she can better hear the people at the table. This type of technology in AI-assisted hearing aids uses data to self-adjust and help the wearer focus on relevant conversations while minimizing background noise. The devices continuously learn to improve the user’s hearing ability in noisy situations. When Rosen, 73, is shopping for groceries near her home in... Read More
Miss Manners: I’d been growing my hair out, and the barber callously chopped it off
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a man with curly hair. A year ago, I decided to grow it out. Today I went in for a haircut. I told the barber that I was growing it “classical musician” long, but that I needed the bottom of the back trimmed up. I expected it could use a little bit of shaping up all over, as well. When he was finished and turned me around so that I could see it, my hair was short. As in, the back was a quarter-inch long. I was stunned. Without comment, I paid him (including the... Read More
Marchand has 2 assists to help Panthers win in his emotional return to Boston
By JIMMY GOLEN BOSTON — Brad Marchand had two assists in his emotional return to Boston, and Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 27 seconds left to help the Florida Panthers beat the Bruins 4-3 on Tuesday night. Boston rallied to tie it after trailing 2-0 lead in the third period, then Marchand skated through the neutral zone and flipped the puck ahead to Eetu Luostarinen as he burst ahead of the last defender and beat Jeremy Swayman to make it 3-2 with 10 minutes to play. With the... Read More
Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky is remembered as a leader in the game’s online surge
By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and COREY WILLIAMS Daniel Naroditsky, a standard-bearer in the world of competitive chess that flourished in the COVID-19 pandemic, died Monday at the age of 29, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greats of the game who helped usher in its digital era. The American grandmaster won several championships and amassed hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms, where he would livestream matches and explain strategy in real time. But he... Read More
Blaze erupts on 10th floor of Hollywood beach apartment building
A fire erupted inside of a 10th floor unit in an apartment building on Hollywood beach on Tuesday evening while the resident was out for a bike ride, Hollywood Fire Rescue said. Firefighters were called to the building in the 300 block of North Surf Road and found the unit actively ablaze, fire rescue spokesperson Chai Kauffman said. Live video from WPLG-Ch. 10 showed flames spreading through the windows and the rear sliding glass doors toward the balcony of the apartment, which is a corner... Read More
Assistant coach at private Christian school in Broward accused of sex crimes
An assistant coach at a private Christian school in Pompano Beach was arrested Monday after two girls alleged that he inappropriately touched them, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. Ronison Exavier, 24, of Coral Springs, was booked into the Paul Rein Detention Facility on three counts of an authority figure engaging in or soliciting sexual conduct, two counts of touch or strike battery and two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation or conduct, jail records show. The family of one girl... Read More
FAA implements year-round flight restrictions around Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach County
PALM BEACH — Palm Beach County residents are facing new airspace restrictions following a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration, which has imposed a 24/7, year-round flight restriction around Mar-a-Lago. The change comes amid heightened security concerns, including a recent FBI investigation into a suspicious structure discovered near the presidential flight path. Effective Monday, Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss said aircrafts are prohibited from operating... Read More