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Florida man serving life terms charged in 1993 killing of 12-year-old girl

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — For three decades, nobody knew for certain what happened to 12-year-old Jennifer Odom after she got off a school bus on a typical day in 1993. The girl was found dead in a Florida orange grove not long after.Now, authorities in Hernando County say a DNA match has identified her killer as Jeffrey Norman Crum, 61, who is already serving two life sentences for a 2015 sexual battery and attempted murder conviction. State Attorney Bill Gladson said Thursday prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the Odom case.“This is every parent’s nightmare,” Gladson said at a news conference in Brooksville, a city of about 7,000 people roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Tampa. “I have confidence we have the right person and we have the right aggravators in this particular case to treat it as a death penalty case,”A grand jury indicted Crum on first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery charges, Gladson added. It wasn’t immediately clear if Crum...

Tractor-trailer wreck on Golden Glades Interchange causes ramp closures

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

There was traffic trouble due to a wreck involving an 18-wheeler. The incident happened Monday morning in the Golden Glades Interchange, which shut down the ramp from northbound 95 to the Palmetto Expressway westbound.7Skyforce hovered over the jackknifed tractor-trailer.No injuries were reported. It’s unclear what caused the driver to lose control.

Ammon Bundy ordered to pay $26 million to Idaho hospital, its CEO and 2 staff members

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

(CNN) — Ammon Bundy, the Idaho-based anti-government activist who captured national attention seven years ago when he led an armed occupation of federal land in Oregon, has been ordered to pay $26 million dollars to a Boise hospital, its CEO, a doctor and a nurse practitioner.Bundy had accused them of malpractice when a grandson of a friend was treated at St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center after the child was taken into protective custody by police. Bundy led protests in front of the hospital that resulted in him being arrested for trespassing.The child, described by police as “suffering from severe malnourishment” during previous medical care, is the grandson of far-right activist Diego Rodriguez, whom Bundy described as a “very good friend.” Rodriguez was also named as a defendant, and the jury ordered him and his Freedom Man organizations to pay $26.5 million.“The jury’s decision imposes accountability for the ongoing campaign of intimidation, harass...

LeBron James thanks well-wishers after son Bronny’s cardiac arrest

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

(CNN) — LeBron James tweeted about his son Bronny James on Thursday for the first time since the 18-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this week, thanking well-wishers for sending his family “love and prayers.”“We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great,” the NBA superstar wrote. “We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang”Bronny James, an incoming freshman for the University of Southern California men’s basketball team, suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice Monday and was hospitalized, according to a statement Tuesday from a family spokesperson. James was in stable condition, having been taken out of the intensive care unit, the statement said.James had a cardiac screening several months ago as part of a program for prospective NBA players, according to a source familiar with the ma...

Eng Taps New Yorkers To Address MBTA Woes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

Facing a long list of necessary safety, service and reliability improvements, the MBTA will staff up at some of its highest levels. MBTA General Manager Phil Eng on Thursday announced he appointed four new officials who will be responsible for managing the quality of T stations, agency infrastructure, engineering, and capital planning, operations and safety. Like Eng, each of the four new major hires previously worked at transportation agencies in New York. Dennis Varley, a veteran of the Long Island Rail Road, will become the T’s first chief of stations. Sam Zhou, another New Yorker who most recently worked for that state’s Department of Transportation, will take over as the MBTA’s assistant general manager of engineering and capital. Doug Connett, the new chief of infrastructure, joins from a state safety and security consulting firm and also has experience at transit agencies in New York City and Washington, D.C. And Rod Brooks, the MBTA’s new senior advis...

For older adults at risk of cognitive decline, hearing aids may reduce risk by half

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

Susan Barber Lindquist | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkUsing hearing aids can slow cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss who are also at risk for memory and thinking problems, according to recent research.A large clinical trial found that for older adults at risk of cognitive issues, using hearing aids for three years cut their rates of cognitive decline in half.While previous research has shown that hearing loss is a risk for developing dementia, the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study was the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of intervening with hearing aids. Results from the study were reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and simultaneously published in The Lancet.David Knopman, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and study co-investigator, says the study shows positive benefits in delaying cognitive decline for people roughly age 75 and older with hearing loss.“Older indi...

Column: Oh, geez. The Chicago White Sox begin their selloff with a flourish — and no one should feel safe.

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn seemed surprised by the question.“Oh, geez,” he said late Wednesday night when asked if the trade of Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Los Angeles Angels for two prospects signaled the start of another rebuild.Hahn assured the reporter there would be plenty of time for “declaring titles” for whatever the game plan turns out to be, and the only thing he was doing now was making moves that “make sense and put us in the best position going forward.”“Oh, geez” is as good an epitaph for the current White Sox rebuild as anything I can think of. It began in 2016 with the trade of Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox and was full steam ahead with the deal that sent Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals.That deal, which netted three top pitching prospects in Giolito, López and Dane Dunning, turned out to be one of the best moves Hahn has made in his Sox career. Giolito became an All-Star,...

JuJu Smith-Schuster already influencing Patriots’ offense early in training camp

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

FOXBORO — It didn’t take long for new Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to become a focal point in the offense.Smith-Schuster didn’t practice in front of reporters this spring — he says he now feels “amazing” after the five-week break between practices — but has been a full participant in the offense through the first two days of training camp.He led all pass-catchers with five targets in Thursday’s practice, catching two of them from quarterback Mac Jones while beating young cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones, both of whom were thrust into top roles. Smith-Schuster downplayed the volume of targets Thursday after practice, however.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots’ Bill Belichick agrees with Mac Jones’ assessment of relationship New England Patriots | Bill Belichick won’t address Patriots’ reported contact with Dalvin Cook about visit New England Patriots | Patriots OT Trent Brown: Bill O’Brien help...

Go pro or go to college? Lake Central’s Josh Adamczewski takes decision to deadline after Brewers draft him.

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

There were two roads in front of Josh Adamczewski.Once the 2023 Lake Central graduate gave it some thought, though, there was only one way for him to go.“With the pro route, you go and play baseball for a living, and you get paid to do it,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If I passed that up and it never came around again, I’d beat myself up for the rest of my life.”That’s how Adamczewski, a 6-foot shortstop who was picked in the 15th round of the MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers on July 11, finally landed on the decision to choose a professional baseball career over a college career at Ball State. He signed Tuesday — deadline day.Adamczewski landed on draft radars during his final season at Lake Central. He hit .473 and led the regional champion Indians with 56 RBIs, 55 runs scored, 35 walks, nine home runs, six triples and a .632 on-base percentage.Adamczewski’s life became increasingly hectic about a month af...

Recipe: Make lamb kofta, a spicy Middle Eastern meat served inside pita bread

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:09 GMT

Served tucked into pita bread and slathered with a yogurt-based sauce, kofta is a spicy meatloaf-like mixture that is traditionally shaped into logs or patties. Skewered, and grilled, kofta is vibrantly flavored, rich in spices such as cumin, coriander, and allspice. Although the meat used to make them varies, ground lamb is a favorite.Pip Payne, author of “The Slimming Foodie in Minutes: 100 + Quick-Cook Recipes Under 600 Calories” (Aster), likes to make lamb kofta for her children. She forms the meat mixture into balls and bakes them rather than skewering and grilling. She suggests “for a cheeky little addition” that readers stuff each kofta sphere with a 1/2-inch cube of feta cheese placed in the center.Baked Lamb Kofta with Mint and Yogurt SauceYield: 4 servingsINGREDIENTS1 pound plus 2 ounces lean ground lamb (10 percent fat)1 brown onion, grated2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander1/2 teaspoon ground allspice1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspo...