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Vehicle belonging to Florida teacher found by search teams more than two years after going missing, body Inside

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

(TMX) – More than two years after a Florida middle school teacher went missing, his car was found submerged in a canal and a body was found inside, officials said.Robert Heikka was 70 years old when he was reported missing on Oct. 26, 2020, after he didn’t show up for work at Creekside Middle School in Port Orange. According to police, Heikka was last seen the day before, driving his white 2012 Chevrolet Impala, and his cell phone last pinged in the area of Interstate 4 and State Road 44 near New Smyrna Beach.An extensive search was conducted at the time, and nothing was found. On the two-year anniversary of Heikka’s disappearance, the nonprofit Sunshine State Sonar Search Team and Recon Dive Recovery contacted Port Orange Police detectives and asked to help search again.“Over the next 7 months, we conducted a 30 mile long ground search and sonar searched over 70+ bodies of water between Orlando and his home in Port Orange,” Sunshine State Sonar Search Team wrote on Facebook.T...

North Miami Beach woman wins $1 million from scratch-off ticket

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

A South Florida woman hit the jackpot when she won $1 million off a scratch-off ticket. Maureen Watson-Richards, 69, of North Miami Beach, claimed a $1 million prize from the BILLION DOLLAR GOLD RUSH SUPREME Scratch-Off game at the Lottery’s Miami District Office, the Florida Lottery said in a news release.She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $880,000.00.Watson-Richards purchased her winning ticket from Publix, located at 1700 Northeast Miami Gardens Drive in North Miami Beach. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.The $30 scratch-off game launched in February 2021 and features four top prizes of $15 million, and 24 prizes of $1 million. The overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.59.According to the Florida Lottery, Scratch-Off games accounted for approximately 77 percent of ticket sales in 2021-2022. Since inception, Scratch-Off games have generated more than $17.06 billion for the Educational Enhancement...

Man charged with kidnapping mother and child goes on trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A man charged with kidnapping a woman and her 4-year-old son and sexually assaulting the mother after he escaped from a substance abuse treatment center went on trial for some of the charges Tuesday.Everett Simpson, 45, is charged in federal court with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interstate car theft. He is representing himself in the trial, which is expected to last four days. If convicted of the kidnapping charge, he could be sentenced to life in prison. Simpson was charged separately in state court with sexually assaulting the woman. He has not yet entered a plea on that charge.The start of the federal trial was delayed several times, at least in part because of the coronavirus pandemic.Before the jury entered the courtroom Tuesday, Simpson, who is being assisted by a federal public defender, told U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions he objected to the wording of the indictment. Sessions told him he was obligated to read the indictment ...

‘He’s the new sheriff in town’: 3 moments that defined the Chicago Cubs’ 3-2 walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes spotted the cowboy hat in the Wrigley Field clubhouse and felt inspired.He didn’t know whom the hat belonged to, but Gomes grabbed it and delivered it to his intended recipient, second baseman Nico Hoerner. Gomes instructed Hoerner to wear it during his postgame interview, and the budding Cubs star obliged.A beaming Hoerner, whose game-winning single completed a three-hit night, sported the hat fittingly emblazoned with a silver star.“He’s the new sheriff in town,” Gomes declared after Hoerner’s first career walk-off hit gave the Cubs a 3-2 win in 10 innings Monday against the Seattle Mariners.“Just trying to have fun in here, man. I feel like this is a good place and we’ve got a good thing going on, especially a guy like Nico. Man, this guy works his tail off. He’s one of the faces of our team, and what a better way to start that.”A win on April 10 might not mean anything come September if the Cubs...

Food historian claims pizza and carbonara are American not Italian foods

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

Evan Rosen | New York Daily NewsFood history professor Alberto Grandi made some polarizing claims in a recent interview, saying many Italian dishes are actually more American in heritage.Grandi, who teaches at the University of Parma in Italy, told the Financial Times that he had been questioning the authenticity of certain “Made in Italy” dishes for years, specifically naming pizza, carbonara and parmesan cheese.“When a community finds itself deprived of its sense of identity, because of whatever historical shock or fracture with its past, it invents traditions to act as founding myths,” he said, implying Italy’s food history could be more fiction than fact.“Italian cuisine really is more American than it is Italian,” Grandi stated in the interview.The assertions have struck a chord with the Italian government. The same day the article was published, Italy’s ministers of Culture and Agriculture made a formal submission of entering Italian cuisine into candidacy for “World Heritage ...

Bullpen has been key to Mets surviving tough early stretch to season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

Max Scherzer lamented his inability to go deep into Monday night’s game and Buck Showalter said the most important player of the night was someone who didn’t even pitch — right-hander Stephen Nogosek.Early April in baseball means it’s bullpen season. Starters are still trying to work up to being able to go seven or innings or more, which means teams need just about every arm in the bullpen. This has been especially true for the Mets, who haven’t gotten a whole lot of length out of their starting staff yet this season and are struggling to make up for the losses of starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana.Showalter wanted to acknowledge Nogosek on Monday because the right-hander’s 3 1/3 innings of relief in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Marlins allowed him to use his top relievers Monday night in a 5-0 win over the San Diego Padres.“The key to the game was probably the job Nogosek did [Sunday],” Showalter said. “If ...

Dolphins Deep Dive: How serious is Tyreek Hill about retiring?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and David Furones discuss how serious receiver Tyreek Hill is about retiring after his contract with Dolphins is complete, marking 10 years in the NFL. ()

Dolphins Deep Dive: What positions should Miami prioritize in the NFL draft?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and David Furones discuss the Dolphins’ priority in the upcoming NFL draft, with a look at the tight end position and mention of the top quarterbacks. ()

Dolphins Deep Dive: Tua looks bulked up, upbeat and self-assured at recent charity event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and David Furones discuss Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who looked bigger, upbeat and at ease, during his recent charity event. ()

Cooler temperatures, chance of rain heading to San Diego

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Colder temperatures are on the horizon for San Diego County, brigning with it a chance of rain and gusty winds, said the National Weather Service.Tuesday saw a Dense Fog Advisory issued in the morning until 9 a.m., limiting visibility for drivers during the morning commute. However by 11 a.m. the clouds and fogs had cleared for most of the county, with high temperatures reported in non-coastal areas.The warmer temperatures are not expected to last, according to NWS San Diego. Slight cooling is expected to begin Tuesday evening, with even colder temperatures forecasted Wednesday and Thursday as a low pressure system moves through the region.The marine layer is expected to deepen into Thursday, bringing a chance of rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The area from the coast to the coastal slopes of the mountain have a slight chance of light precipitation, NWS San Diego said. Coastal fog contributes to what NWS calls ‘Graypril’ The chance of rain is expected to be...