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Agreement in place to return Lolita the orca to the Pacific

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — An unlikely coalition of a theme park owner, animal rights group and NFL owner-philanthropist announced Thursday that a plan is in place to return Lolita — an orca that has lived in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years — to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest.“I’m excited to be a part of Lolita’s journey to freedom,” Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said during a news conference announcing the agreement. “I know Lolita wants to get to free waters.”The time frame for moving the 57-year-old, 5,000-pound (2,267-kilogram) orca could be six to nine months or even longer, Irsay said. He added that he became part of the mission because “the story of Lolita is near and dear” to his heart.Irsay is partnering with Eduardo Albor, who heads The Dolphin Company which owns the Seaquarium, and the nonprofit Friends of Lolita, co-founded by environmentalist Pritam Singh, to move Lolita from her marine park tank that measures 80 feet by 35 feet (24...

Former Presidente supermarkets owner found guilty of hiring hitmen to kill ex-wife’s lover

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

A jury has ruled the former owner of several Presidente Supermarkets guilty of orchestrating the murder of his ex-wife’s lover.The verdict was reached Thursday afternoon, around 3:30, when Manuel Marin was found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy of kidnapping and kidnapping.Jury deliberations began Wednesday evening. Marin was accused of hiring hitmen to kill 43-year-old Camilo Salazar back in June 2011.When Salazar’s body was found in the Everglades, police said, officers discovered that his throat was slit and his head was beaten.According to police, Marin commissioned Roberto Isaac and former MMA fighter Alex Vila Perdomo to carry out the murder.Isaac and Perdomo were found guilty of conspiracy of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. Isaac was also found guilty of second-degree murder and kidnapping.Marin did not take the stand in his trial. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Taking Work Home with You: Former New Bedford Whaling Museum worker indicted for alleged theft of artifacts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

A former employee of the New Bedford Whaling Museum has been indicted by a grand jury after being accused of stealing artifacts from his previous place of work, according to authorities.The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of Robert M. Burchell on Thursday. According to a news release from the DA’s office, the 42-year-old New Bedford man allegedly stole dozens of “pocket-sized items” from the museum he worked at for two years, and would sell the items to local antique and pawn shops.He was eventually caught after authorities said a shop owner in West Bridgewater tipped off police, believing items that he purchased from Burchell were likely stolen.The 42 year old was later arrested by New Bedford police on Jan. 5 and was charged with Larceny from a Building. Following his initial arraignment, the court imposed a $5,000 cash bail on Burchell while ordering him to stay away from both the museum and museum employees.Months later,...

FBI documents: Las Vegas mass shooter lost tens of thousands of dollars gambling, was mad about how casinos had treated him

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The high-roller gambler who opened fire on concertgoers on the Las Vegas Strip had lost tens of thousands of dollars while gambling weeks before the mass shooting and was upset about how the casinos had treated him, according to FBI documents made public this week.The documents reveal the strongest indication of a motive for the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. They paint a detailed account of gunman Stephen Paddock’s final days before the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting that killed 60 people and injured hundreds more.A gambler whose name is redacted from the hundreds of pages of documents told the FBI that Paddock “was very upset at the way casinos were treating him and other high rollers.”Neither the FBI nor the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the lead investigating agency, presented an official motive for the shooting. Both agencies have said Paddock acted alone.The 10-minute massacre un...

Pope showing ‘clear improvement’ after antibiotic treatment for bronchitis infection, could leave hospital soon

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

(CNN) — Pope Francis showed a “clear improvement” on Thursday after being given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection and could be released from the hospital in the next few days, according to the Vatican.The 86-year-old pontiff, who as a young man had a small part of his right lung removed, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing problems. Following clinical checks and tests, the doctors identified that he had bronchitis and were administering antibiotic therapy to treat him.“Based on the predictable outcome, the Holy Father could be released in the next few days,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement, adding that Francis had spent the afternoon resting, praying and carrying out some work.“His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night. The clinical picture is progressively improving and the planned treatments continue. This morning after breakfast, he ...

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski collision trial ends, jury deliberates

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

By SAM METZ (Associated Press)PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon in Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial over a 2016 ski collision at a Utah resort.The eight-person jury received the case following closing arguments in which attorneys delivered dueling versions of who was at fault in a crash that left retired optometrist Terry Sanderson with four broken ribs. Both sides have argued that their client was the downhill skier, making the other culpable according to a skier responsibility code.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Attorneys for Gwyneth Paltrow and the 76-year-old suing her over a 2016 ski collision used closing arguments to describe their clients as aggrieved victims participating in a yearslong legal battle to take a stand for truth, sending the case to the eight-member jury to make a decision.During closing arguments, Paltrow’s attorneys asked jurors to disregard the opp...

Wrigleyville bars: Your 2023 guide to all 45 spots around Wrigley Field for opening day

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

Spring and baseball are an ideal pairing, so it stands to reason that Chicago Cubs fans are amped to get back to it with opening day Thursday.After a sleepy winter and a delayed start to the season, enthusiasm has been building for the three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend.Takeout and delivery are options for people who prefer to catch the game at home but still want to feast on Wrigleyville classics as American as, well, baseball.Here’s our list of every alcohol-slinging spot in Wrigleyville, from top taco joints brushing up against the Friendly Confines to the perfect sports bars to a couple of swanky new cocktail bars. Locations are sorted by distance to the Wrigley marquee.Cubby BearDistance to the Wrigley sign: 62 feetWhat fans go for: Day drinking; 50+ HD TVs; Cubby Blue shots.Worth noting: This iconic Cubs venue opened more than 50 years ago, and Cubs memorabilia lines some of the walls. Expect a crowd.When to go: Before, during and after the game...

911 calls reveal terror at Nashville school during attack

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and TRAVIS LOLLER (Associated Press)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities released 911 recordings on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week, as callers pleaded for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background.Police released recordings of three 911 calls made during Monday’s attack at The Covenant School, in which three children and three adults were killed. In one, a man tells the dispatcher he is with a group of people, including several children, who are walking away from the Christian school toward a main road. Although the man remains calm, the tension and confusion of the situation are clear, with several adults speaking over each other and children’s voices in the background.When the dispatcher requests a description of the shooter, the caller asks a second man to get on the line.“All I saw was a man holding an assault rifle shoo...

Nets late rally vs. Rockets both concerning and promising for team with playoff hopes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

The Nets secured a must-win victory in come-from-behind fashion Wednesday to snap a skid of six losses in seven games.The circumstances behind their comeback, however, leaves an important question that could determine their Eastern Conference playoff odds.Did the Nets — who have statistically struggled in the clutch ever since the trade deadline — somehow get better in crunch time overnight?Or did they take advantage of a young, inexperienced Houston Rockets team in a victory head coach Jacque Vaughn said his team was “pretty lucky” to secure on Wednesday?The truth is somewhere in the middle.Brooklyn’s ability to finish the game on an 18-point swing was impressive for a team that owned the NBA’s worst crunch-time offense since trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 9.But it’s inexcusable that a team with legitimate playoff aspirations found themselves on the brink of losing a must-win game against a Rockets team with the second-wor...

Mets place ace Justin Verlander on IL with low-grade shoulder strain

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:24:55 GMT

MIAMI — The Mets were set to start the season with their healthiest rotation in years, but then Justin Verlander felt something wrong in his right shoulder during a bullpen session the night before Opening Day at LoanDepot Park.The Mets’ co-ace and marquee winter signing, will start the season on the injured list with a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder.Verlander struggled with his mechanics in his final Grapefruit League start last week and his fastball velocity was down a few miles per hour. It wasn’t anything he worried about at the time, but having dealt with a lat strain in the past, he realized the soreness he felt in his bullpen was probably connected to the decrease in velocity. The Mets exercised caution in sending him to get imaging right away.“In my bullpen yesterday, I felt just a teeny bit of something,” Verlander said Thursday ahead of the Mets’ season opener against the Miami Marlins. “When I looked back and I...