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North Miami Beach Police arrest city employee for theft of Publix gift cards

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

NORTH MIAMI BEACH (AP) — The North Miami Beach Police Department has arrested a City of North Miami Beach employee in connection with an investigation involving the theft of Publix gift cards. The gift cards, purchased by the city to distribute among North Miami Beach residents, were acquired using funding allocated through the American Rescue Plan. Authorities discovered that the stolen Publix gift cards were unlawfully utilized to purchase various food items and goods at different Publix locations across South Florida. In total, eight gift cards were used, amounting to a value of $1,137.82.During the course of the investigation, evidence pointed to Jennifer Hillmon, an employee of the City of North Miami Beach, as the individual responsible for the fraudulent use of the gift cards. Hillmon now faces charges of 1 count of Organized Scheme to Defraud and 1 count of Grand Theft in the third degree.Upon the discovery of Hillmon’s involvement, the City of North Miami Beach termin...

Disney scraps plans for new Florida campus as fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis continues

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that it was scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development.The decision follows a year of attacks from Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature, with Disney filing a First Amendment lawsuit against him and other officials last month.Disney had planned to build the campus about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the giant Walt Disney World theme park resort, but Josh D’Amaro, chairman of the parks, experiences and products division, said in a memo to employees that “new leadership and changing business conditions” prompted the company to abandon those plans.“I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” D’Amaro said. “We have plans to invest $17 billion and create 13,000 jobs over the next ten years. I hope we’re able to do so.”The governor’s office didn’t i...

Police to conduct multi-agency DUI checkpoint in Miami

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

The Miami Police Department announced plans to conduct a multi-agency DUI checkpoint and DUI saturation patrol to identify and apprehend impaired drivers in Miami’s Upper Eastside Neighborhood. The checkpoint will be located Friday evening at the Pelican Harbor Boat Ramp, located at 1265 NE 79 Street.Running from 7 p.m. to midnight, the operation aims to prevent accidents and injuries caused by impaired driving. As part of their zero-tolerance approach towards traffic law violations, officials said Miami Police officers will be vigilant in apprehending motorists driving under the influence and issuing tickets to those not wearing seat belts.Officials said the DUI checkpoint initiative aligns with several ongoing campaigns, including “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Let’s Eliminate Aggressive Driving,” and “Buckle Up Florida: Click It or Ticket.” Law enforcement officials are urging all motorists to prioritize their safety and the saf...

Townsend police request public’s help in locating man not seen since May 2

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

Police in Townsend are requesting the public’s help in finding a 42-year-old man who has not been seen in over two weeks.The Townsend Police Department says Joseph Paul Knisell has not been seen or heard from since May 2.“Knisell was reported missing by a family member on May 13,” the police department said in a news release. “A subsequent investigation determined that Knisell’s cell phone has not been active since May 7, when it was pinged in the area of Manchester, N.H.”The department said it has been working with authorities throughout the area, including Manchester, to try and locate the 42 year old, who may be in need of medication, according to officials.Knisell is said to drive a white 2014 Jeep Patriot with a Massachusetts license plate that reads “2RAY93,” which has also been reported missing.“Our main goal is to locate Mr. Knisell to check his welfare, because he may be in need of medications that he requires,” To...

T Towns Fear Service Levels Will Not Rebound

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

Cities and towns that help fund the MBTA are concerned it will be “impossible” to restore pre-pandemic service levels and that the agency might need to hike fares given the growing shadow of a budget shortfall that officials so far have failed to address.The MBTA Advisory Board, a group that represents municipalities that contribute financially to the transit agency and are served by it, highlighted several red flags in its review of the T’s latest budget proposals, including a sluggish hiring pace.MBTA officials are weighing a $2.72 billion preliminary budget for fiscal year 2024 that would increase spending by nearly 7 percent and use $261 million in one-time funds to close a gap.Even after MBTA budget-writers revised their fare projections downward in the draft budget proposal, the advisory board pondered whether the latest projection is “too optimistic” given that ridership has plateaued on the subways in particular.“Overal...

Supreme Court rules against Andy Warhol’s foundation in a case about a portrait he made of Prince

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

By JESSICA GRESKO (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the 2016 publication of an Andy Warhol image of the singer Prince violated a photographer’s copyright, a decision a dissenting justice said would stifle the creation of art.The high court ruled 7-2 for photographer Lynn Goldsmith. “Lynn Goldsmith’s original works, like those of other photographers, are entitled to copyright protection, even against famous artists,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the opinion for the court.In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision would “stifle creativity of every sort” and suggested the majority needed to “go back to school” for an Art History 101 refresher course. The case involved images Warhol created of Prince as part of a 1984 commission for Vanity Fair. Warhol used one of Goldsmith’s photos as a starting point, a so-called artist reference, and Vanity Fair paid Goldsmith to li...

Kanelstang, a Danish cinnamon twist, is a true coffee mate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

Me, texting 14-year-old: That coffee thing is so good!14-year-old (telling me she’s 14 without telling me she’s 14): It’s not a coffee thing.Okay, fine. It wasn’t a coffee thing.But man, does this thing go beautifully with coffee.And the cinnamon filling — sweet, spice-laden perfection with just the right amount of custard-imbued moisture — was reminiscent of a delight the Publix bakery used to call a “coffee ring.” It wasn’t the same as the prevalent pecan ring, which I still see, but I’m getting off-topic here.The point is the thing was freaking delicious. And so is this. And I’m not hinging my enjoyment of it on the odds of a teenager simply saying “thanks” upon receiving a compliment. And nor should you.A tantalizing cross-section. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)You should just make it, as she/we did.The craving came to her based on the same Ole & Steen pastry you’ll read about where she found the recipe — at ScottCanEat.com. She and her sister enjoyed it immensely on a...

Celtics confident in Game 2 response vs. Heat, but admit they ‘can’t keep relying on that’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

When the Celtics returned to the Auerbach Center on Thursday to review the film from their Game 1 loss to the Heat, nothing surprised them.“It was pretty much what I thought,” Joe Mazzulla said.“It looked exactly like it looked last night,” Robert Williams added. “Long film session. Not much more to say.”It was ugly. After holding a double-digit lead early in the third quarter, the Celtics let go of the rope. The Heat surged with a 46-point period to take control. Almost everything went wrong for the Celtics, who lost their sense of urgency and purpose, and it reflected in every part of their play.This has been a theme for the Celtics, who are unbeatable and dominant for stretches but have trouble staying consistent and locking in for a full 48 minutes. It’s cost them plenty of times this season. It’s alarming that it continues to happen at this stage of the season, in the most important games.“We get tired of doing the little things sometimes,” Marcus Smart said after the loss.“We&...

The safest cities and countries for women who travel alone

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

Mia Taylor | TravelPulse (TNS)Solo travel among women has been growing exponentially over the past decade. During the four years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, searches for the term “solo female travel” had increased six-fold, according to data from the Solo Female Travelers Club. And that search volume recovered in 2022 once the pandemic became less of a concern.But even as women increasingly embark on travel alone, safety remains a top concern. The 2022 Solo Female Travel Trends Survey showed that 65% of women who travel alone worry about their personal safety.A new report from travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) and GeoSure Global, aims to address such concerns. The report identifies the world’s 11 safest cities and countries for women traveling alone. And there’s one country in particular that appears among the top 11 more than any other.The runaway winner of the BHTP ranking is Switzerland. In particular, Basel, Switzerland, nabbed the No...

Heat it up: Tips for eating, growing, and cooking with hot peppers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:23 GMT

Don’t worry if the rest of your family does not appreciate the spicy heat your favorite hot peppers add to entrees, beverages and desserts. Proper pepper selection, care and preparation can help you turn down the heat as needed.Hot peppers’ spicy heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units named for Wilbur Scoville. The level of heat was originally determined by a panel of individual tasters. Chili peppers were ground and added to a sugar-water solution. The solution was continually diluted until the panelist found the solution no longer burned their mouth. Each pepper was assigned a number based on the amount of sugar-water solution needed to reach that point. Today a more accurate less subjective high-performance liquid chromatography method can be used for measuring the pungency of hot peppers.Poblano and Siracha rate between 1,000 to 2,500, jalapenos up to 8,000, cayenne can peak at 50,000, habaneros up to 350,000 and one of the hottest, the ghost pepper, at as much as 2,200,000 uni...