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Boston awards small business grants to fill vacant storefronts across the city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

The City of Boston is helping its entrepreneurs with a new initiative called SPACE Grants, where 24 businesses will be awarded funds to allow them to open storefronts in vacant spaces throughout the city. Through SPACE, or Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises, $2.8 million will be distributed to bring more traffic to major commercial districts. Mayor Michelle Wu hosted a conference today announcing the businesses chosen out of over 350 applications to receive funding.Of the 24 businesses, 75% are minority-owned, and more than 60% are owned by women.Akou Diabakhate, founder of Bold Skin Bae LLC, commended Boston for supporting small businesses.“I truly believe that community is the cornerstone of the success of small businesses and that small businesses are the backbone of our society,” she said. “I want to say thank you for the wonderful people of Boston for embracing me and supporting our mission.”The Mayor’s office said more assistance is offered through the gra...

Storms On The Way Tomorrow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

Editor’s Note: This blog post was written by 7Weather intern Tyler Hughes. ~JRAnother hot, humid day in the books today, where temperatures climbed well into the upper 80s to around 90 in most locations. We’ll look to continue the trend tomorrow, with temperatures climbing into the 90s inland, remaining in the 80s along the coast, Cape and Islands. A mostly cloudy, but dry morning will give way to a line of scattered storms in the afternoon/evening – more on that later.A heat advisory is in effect tomorrow through Friday for much of the state – a result of the combination of high heat and humidity. This will drive the heat index, a measure of how hot it “feels” to us, to drive well into the 90s, approaching triple digits. Tomorrow and Friday are the most oppressive heat days of this week.This combination of heat and humidity will be the fuel for a line of storms tomorrow afternoon as a boundary traverses Southern New England. I think the first bat...

Revere man accused of impersonating a police officer appears in court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

A Revere man appeared in court Tuesday after his arrest on charges including impersonating a police officer over the weekend. Byron Boisseau, 43, was arrested on Sunday, according to state police. He has since posted $500 bail.In a statement, state police said troopers first received a “be on the lookout” message around 8 p.m. Sunday reporting a white Ford Crown Victoria that had been spotted “utilizing flashing lights to force other vehicles out of the way.”State police said the vehicle was linked to Boisseau and later spotted on Ocean Avenue in Revere. State police said a trooper pulled Boisseau over and began speaking with him.“Upon being questioned, Boisseau stated he worked for a security company and was in possession of a mace gun and a BB gun,” state police said. During the traffic stop, police said investigators found items including two bulletproof vests with steel plates and thin blue line flag patches, a Glock-style BB gun, a plastic mace gun, a folding kni...

State lawmakers weighing new watchdog for the MBTA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

State lawmakers have proposed legislation that would move safety oversight of the MBTA from the Department of Public Utilities to a new independent agency.The bill, filed by the Joint Committee on Transportation, envisions a new agency that would act as the state safety oversight authority for the MBTA, a role that would also be extended to other public transit modes.Oversight of the ferry system, buses, regional transit authorities and the commuter rail would fall under this new “Office of Transit Safety,” State Rep. William Straus, co-chair of the Transportation Committee, said.“We decided that it’s more than just the Boston subway issues,” Straus said. “Even though the DPU has been tasked with oversight over ferry operations, that’s something they’ve never even attempted to do. I mean, talking decades here.”He added, “We decided to just bring all public transit together, and at least for the safety oversight, having this one office with a single executive director.”The office’s e...

Federal Reserve raises rates for 11th time to fight inflation but gives no clear sign of next move

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER (AP Economics Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate Wednesday for the 11th time in 17 months as part of its ongoing drive to curb inflation. But it provided little guidance about when — or whether — it might hike rates again.Wednesday’s move raised the Fed’s benchmark short-term rate from roughly 5.1% to 5.3% — its highest level since 2001. Coming on top of its previous hikes, the Fed’s latest action could lead to further increases in the costs of mortgages,auto loans, credit cards and business borrowing.Speaking at a news conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was noncommittal about any expectations for future rate hikes. Since it began raising rates in March 2022, the Fed has often telegraphed its upcoming action. This time, though, Powell said the Fed’s policymakers may or may not raise rates again at their next meeting in September.“It is certainly possible that we will ...

Column: Moment of truth arriving for Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer, who has a big decision to make

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

One of the dilemmas facing Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer as he makes his big trade-deadline decision is whether to break up the nucleus of a team that fans really seem to like.What makes sense business-wise might not be the right call in terms of satisfying the customers, and all fans are customers, whether it’s buying tickets or merchandise or a direct-to-consumer streaming product from the team-owned TV network that airs their games.Trading Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger should bring back a slew of players who could help the Cubs down the road, perhaps as early as 2024. Keeping them and trying to get over .500 and into the 2023 postseason, knowing they could very well leave after the season, would be risky and potentially could set the timeline for winning back a year.The fact the Cubs have begun to take advantage of a soft spot in their schedule, winning six of seven from the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox, adds to the degree of diffic...

Henry Lee, forensic scientist who testified in OJ Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey trials, defends work in overturned murder convictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

Forensic scientist Henry Lee on Wednesday defended his 1985 examination of evidence in a murder case in which two convictions were later overturned, stating that he did not fabricate evidence about blood found on a bathroom towel.In 2019, the state Supreme Court threw out the 1989 murder convictions of two New Milford teenagers, Ricky Birch and Shawn Henning, in the murder of Everett Carr and ordered a new trial. They then filed a wrongful-conviction suit against Lee, eight police investigators and the town of New Milford.On Friday, U.S. District Judge Victor Bolden ruled that Lee fabricated evidence in the murder case and is liable for potentially tens of millions of dollars in damages in their wrongful-conviction suit.Daniel Shular / Hartford CourantHenry Lee is seen at a July 2019 news conference.“I have no motive nor reason to fabricate evidence,” Lee wrote in his statement. “My chemical testing of the towel played no direct role in implicating Mr. Birch and Mr. Henning or anyon...

Massachusetts fire officials suspend fireworks shooter’s license after unexploded fireworks washed up on Chappaquiddick Island

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

The state fire marshal has suspended a fireworks shooter’s license after unexploded commercial-grade fireworks shells washed up on Chappaquiddick Island following a Martha’s Vineyard Fourth of July show.The technician who ran the Edgartown show is now banned from pyrotechnics work in Massachusetts for the next five years.Also, his employer Central Maine Pyrotechnics could face a two-year suspension in the Bay State if the company violates the terms of a licensing disposition reached on Wednesday, according to State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.The suspension handed down from state fire officials comes after the discovery of more than two dozen unexploded commercial fireworks shells, which washed ashore on Chappaquiddick Island after the fireworks display.The shells ranged from three to eight inches in diameter and were highly explosive, with the potential to cause grave physical injury or worse, officials said.“Fireworks are inherently dangerous,” Ostroskey s...

Ticker: Fed hikes key rate 11th time; Automakers partner on DC charging network

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate Wednesday for the 11th time in 17 months, a streak of hikes that are intended to curb inflation but that also carry the risk of going too far and triggering a recession.The move lifted the Fed’s benchmark short-term rate from roughly 5.1% to 5.3% — its highest level since 2001.Coming on top of its previous rate hikes, the Fed’s latest move could lead to further increases in the costs of mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and business borrowing.A key question swirling around  the Fed is whether Wednesday’s increase will be its last or whether it will hike again later this year. At his news conference, Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank has made no decisions about any future rate increases.“The process of getting inflation down to 2% has a long way to go,” Powell said.Automakers partner on DC charging networkGeneral Motors Co. and Stellantis NV are joining five other automakers to create a joint ven...

Ohio officer fired after letting his police dog attack a surrendering truck driver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:25 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A police officer in rural Ohio was fired Wednesday after he released his police dog on a surrendering truck driver despite state troopers telling him to hold the K9 back.The Circleville Police Department said Ryan Speakman “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers” and his termination is “effective immediately.” His firing comes a day after the department said he was on paid administrative leave, which is standard during use-of-force investigations.The town’s civilian police review board has found Speakman didn’t violate department policy when he deployed the dog, Wednesday’s police statement said, adding that the review board doesn’t have the authority to recommend discipline.Department officials said they would have no further comment on the matter “at this time” since it’s a personnel matter. Messages seeking comment from Speakman were not immediately returned.The Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Associat...