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Chicago Bears players mentor high school athletes while helping food bank; ‘They realize they’re normal people who play the same sport’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

North Chicago freshman and varsity football player Dyzhir Usher was in awe looking at Darnell Wright, the Chicago Bears’ top draft pick this year, but soon they were smiling and talking to each other like old friends.‘We talked about football and he told me you ‘have to keep up your grades,’” Usher, who hopes to play college football, said. “He pushed me hard to keep up with my grades.”Usher was one of 27 Warhawks and Wright among 24 Bears packaging tangerines, potatoes and butternut squash May 25 at the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Lake Forest location, joining forces to battle food insecurity.For approximately an hour, the football players combined for a volunteer shift at the food bank packing food and getting it ready for shipment. Matt Simoene, the Bears’ director of community and alumni relations, said philanthropy is part of the team culture.“Giving back like this is important,” Simoene said. “It’s...

‘Big-time player’: Derrick White reminds Celtics of his importance with key Game 5 performance

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

After producing a strong regular season, the postseason has been uneven for Derrick White. He was one of the Celtics’ best players in the Hawks series, but struggled some against the 76ers and lost his place in the starting lineup.But this Celtics team is at its best when a fully confident White is playing well. He returned to the starting lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals as Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla searched for answers to his stagnant offense. In Game 5, White made it clear that he’s one of the biggest keys if the Celtics will finish off a historic comeback against the Heat.White played his all-around best game of the playoffs in the victory. He scored a team-high 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting, which included six 3-pointers. But his defense may have been even better. White was relentless on that side of the ball, making life uncomfortable for a Heat team that had been far too comfortable to start to this series, and his play was critical for a dominant Celtics ...

Revolution midfielder Emmanuel Boateng to make sixth straight start

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

New England Revolution midfielder Emmanuel Boateng has provided quality minutes while the team’s growing list of injured starters is nearing a crisis stage.Boateng became a fixture in head coach Bruce Arena’s Starting XI when forward Dylan Borrero went down with a season-ending left knee injury. Borrero underwent successful surgery on his torn ACL on Monday at Mass. General Hospital in Foxboro and is expected to be out nine to 12 months.Boateng is slated to make his sixth consecutive start when the Revolution (7-3-3) host the Chicago Fire (3-4-6) on Saturday night (7:30) at Gillette Stadium.“He has done very well,” said Arena. “He’s stepped up for Dylan Borrero, who obviously we know is out for the year, and he’s done a very good job, no question about it. His experience shows and his fitness has improved so he’s really done a good job.”Striker Gustavo Bou, the team’s leading scorer in 2022, center back Henry Kessler and midfielder Tommy McNamara have been out for an extended ...

Prosecutors say 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver was killed when he stood up for his mother

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

A bail hearing has revealed gruesome details of the death of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, of Fitchburg, nearly a decade ago.Alberto Sierra Jr., 32, was arraigned last week in Worcester Superior Court on charges of murder and disinterring a body for the death of Oliver, whose body was found in a suitcase on the side of Interstate 90 in Sterling on April 18, 2014. Sierra was at the time the boyfriend of Oliver’s mother, Elsa Oliver.The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Jeremiah’s death a homicide, but the cause of death was undetermined: “homicidal violence of undetermined etiology.”On Friday morning, Sierra was ordered held without bail.News sources report that during that bail hearing, prosecutors outlined some gruesome new details about the case, including the allegation that Oliver may have been killed because he was sticking up for his mother while she was in a physical altercation with Sierra.According to WCVB, prosecutors say that young Oliver was kept in a k...

BC falls to Clemson 4-1 in ACC tournament

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

No. 6 seed Boston College’s rally in the top on the ninth fell short in Friday’s 4-1 loss to No. 3 seed Clemson in the ACC tournament Pool C elimination game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C.BC opened the tournament with an 11-7 win over Virginia Tech on Tuesday. But the Eagles needed a victory over Clemson to secure an NCAA regional at the Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at the Harrington Athletic Village at Brighton Fields.The 22nd-ranked Eagles still have an outside chance to become the first New England school to host an NCAA regional on campus since No. 3 seed Maine procured the Northeast Regional in 1991. The NCAA bracket will be announced Monday at noon and BC (35-18) will secure a favorable slot in the field of 64.“We have a facility now that we can be proud of and the opportunity to show it off would be fortunate,” said BC coach Mike Gambino. “The thing about it is, the city of Boston turns out for big events and this will be a big deal in the city. It will be a huge d...

‘No question’ Rachael Rollins needed to resign after scathing federal reports, Healey says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

There was “no question” former U.S. District Attorney Rachael Rollins had to resign after a pair of federal reports accused her of multiple ethical violations, Gov. Maura Healey said Friday.Rollins resigned as the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts last week after she “committed an extraordinary abuse of her power” when she violated the Hatch Act, a law prohibiting federal employees from participating in partisan political activity, one of the federal reports found.Another report accused Rollins of using her position to sway last year’s race for Suffolk County District attorney between Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo and DA Kevin Hayden.And Healey said Friday that Rollins’ alleged conduct was “troubling and disappointing.”“There was no question that she had to resign. I also support the ongoing efforts of the men and women in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. I worked closely with them as attorney general. And I know, Attorney General Campbell will continue to work and wor...

Celtics insist on playing with their backs against the wall, and it hasn’t haunted them yet

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

Jayson Tatum put his hands on his face and rubbed his forehead as he took the last question of his postgame press conference. It was the end of a long night after another big win, but the Celtics star also looked like he was trying to come up with the answer to something that so many are wondering.Why do the Celtics only respond when they need to? Why do they thrive when their backs are against the wall?“I wish I didn’t know the answer,” Tatum said.Whatever it is, it’s ingrained in this Celtics team’s DNA. They seem to be obsessed with doing it the hard way, whether it was going down 3-2 to Milwaukee last postseason, then losing at home to Miami in Game 6 that forced them to win Game 7 on the road. The script repeated itself when they fell behind 3-2 to Philadelphia earlier this month. But now the Celtics are testing it like they’re driving high speed around a cliff. After falling behind 3-0 in these Eastern Conference Finals to the Heat, it looked like the Celtics had gone to...

Review: Pixel 7A gives you more than you pay for

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

You know that adage, “you get what you pay for.” Well, it’s not always true. With Google’s new Pixel 7A phone, you get more than you pay for, compared with other phones.At $499, the 6.1-inch Pixel 7A is $100 less than the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 and $400 less than the 6.7-inch Pixel Pro. In terms of screen size, the 7A is more than big enough. It fits in my hand better than the 7 and the 7 Pro. The 7A is bigger and a lot less expensive than the iPhone 14, which starts at $799. It’s also less expensive than most Samsung phones. Size is only one of several things to consider when buying a phone, but larger phones typically cost more than smaller ones.Android vs. iOSThere are people who dismiss Android phones, because they are wedded to iOS and the Apple eco-system. I get it. Apple does a great job integrating its products, making it easy to go back and forth among their phones, laptops, watches and tablets. But Google is starting to create its own eco-system with its Pixel watch, Fitbit trac...

Coast Guard San Diego aircrew evacuates a 3-year-old girl off cruise ship

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A helicopter aircrew from the Coast Guard Sector San Diego evacuated a young child from a cruise ship on Wednesday, officials said.A 3-year-old passenger on the Emerald Princess was suffering from seizure-like symptoms off the coast of Santa Barbara around 2 p.m., USCG explained in a news release. SD Wave players meet with all-female pilot squadron set to flyover game Cruise ship personnel communicated with watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach and said the child needed a medical evacuation. It was determined by USCG that launching a San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew was the "best course of action" to evacuate the child from the cruise ship, officials said.An aircrew from the San Diego Sector immediately took flight and arrived to the area where the ship was located. According to USCG, the helicopter crew hoisted the girl and her mother from the ship and safely brought them onboard the aircraft.Once back to land, the 3-year-old girl was ...

Man wanted in TTC assaults allegedly spat on people, police say

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:39 GMT

Toronto police are searching for a man wanted in multiple assaults on the TTC that involved the suspect spitting on people.Authorities said on May 15, a man was exiting a subway car at Coxwell Station in The Danforth when he allegedly spat at two passengers without provocation as they were boarding.A day later, on May 16, police said a man walking from Main Street Station in the east end spat at another passenger as they walked toward the TTC station.Investigators identified the suspect as 28-year-old Joseph O’Sullivan Martinez of Toronto.He’s wanted for three counts of assault and five counts of breaching probation.Joseph O’Sullivan Martinez, 28, of Toronto. Photo: Toronto police.