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State setting sights on replacing Tobin Bridge

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

Acting Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt informed state officials at a meeting Wednesday that the Healey administration is beginning to plan for the “eventual replacement” of the Tobin Bridge, one of the most highly traveled routes in the state and a gateway linking Boston and communities north of the city.Tibbits-Nutt said a request for proposals could be released as soon as Friday seeking a transportation planning and engineering consultant that would work on a study examining options for the replacement of the bridge.Major changes are not imminent, and Tibbits-Nutt suggested the study alone could take two years. On the same day Tibbits-Nutt outlined initial steps toward replacement of the bridge, the Department of Transportation’s board approved a $109 million contract for repairs and maintenance to the same structure.But the forthcoming RFP signals state leaders want to begin turning the gears on what would likely be a massive infrastructure project,...

Solve It 7: Luggage Letdown

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

A Beverly woman returned to Massachusetts after a trip to Europe — but her luggage had an extended stay! When she needed help getting it back, she contacted Solve It Seven. Brandon Gunnoe has the story.Elaine and her husband, Michael, went on a dream vacation to Italy this summer with their family.“We had a wonderful, wonderful time,” Michael said. “It’s just so beautiful, the flowers, the scenery. Michael wanted to take his children and grandchildren to see where he was from,” Elaine said. They had a tight connecting flight from Rome to Naples on the last leg of the trip.“We planned an itinerary that was completely booked,” Elaine said. They made the flight, but Elaine’s bag did not.  “We went to baggage claim, and my bag was not there. They said they would call me the next day, and I hadn’t gotten a call. I didn’t have a carry-on. So everything went in that bag. It was all I had,” Elai...

Cost to live in San Diego climbs as gas prices and soon, water rates, spike

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The cost to live in San Diego has taken a steep spike as gas prices have jumped to an average $5.99 a gallon, up nearly 90 cents in a month. Water bills are also scheduled to jump nearly 20% in the next year, and the region's electricity prices are among the highest in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. “Everything -- food, hotels, water, clothing -- everybody is just trying make it in this world as it is,” Art Rodriguez, who owns a painting company, said to FOX 5. 2 local ‘Bachelorette’ contestants among 5 saved after boat sinks on fishing trip High interest rates from the federal reserve are trying to bring costs back into line, but that now means home buying has become far more expensive, locking out young buyers from the market and locking older buyers into their homes carrying low interest rates. Credit card rates are also spiking, making life simply tougher for all workers. “Now, you try to get a house and you have to m...

Man who posed as doctor to sexually assault women gets probation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A judge has sentenced Dario Moscoso to two years' probation in the sexual assault case against four women.  Prosecutors said from 2017 to 2019, Moscoso posed as a doctor at his Del Mar Cosmetic Contouring Surgery clinic in order to sexually assault the four women.  In a controversial plea deal, Moscoso was able to walk out of a courtroom with a two-year probation sentence for inappropriately touching four women.  The judge agreed to the probation sentence because she said it seemed Moscoso took responsibility, but said in the courtroom he had a credibility issue after what he wrote in his probation report.  “Sir, do you accept probation on those terms and conditions?” San Diego County Superior Court judge Polly Shamoon asked Moscoso.  “Yes, your honor, OK,” answered Dario Moscoso, sentenced to two-year probation for sexual assault allegations.  “He accuses the victims of being the liars, and that he was the one that was framed on bogus charges. He’s claiming that i...

Here are the top-selling used cars in the San Diego metro area

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

CanvaHere are the top-selling used cars in the San Diego metro areaCoPilot analyzed national sales data to uncover the 20 top-selling used cars in the San Diego metro area.In the vibrant setting of coastal California, the top-selling used cars in San Diego offer a glimpse into the city's practical yet diverse automotive preferences. Topping the list is the Honda Civic, with used Honda Civics in San Diego averaging $28,072. The Civic has captured San Diego's heart with its efficiency, reliability, and urban-friendly design. This choice highlights the city's demand for practical, fuel-efficient vehicles that excel in the daily commute and navigate the bustling streets with ease.Let's look at the full list.The 20 top-selling used cars in the San Diego metro areaThe prominence of sedans like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Toyota Corolla underscores San Diego's preference for comfortable and efficient vehicles. These sedans are well-suited for both urban driving and longer trips, al...

Train tunnels plan to move tracks from bluffs one step closer to reality

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

DEL MAR, Calif. -- The San Diego Association of Governments released a report that shows what the future railroad tracks could look like when they are moved from the Del Mar Bluffs, further inland.This comes after bluff erosion and the threat of sea levels rising have been a constant issue for the tracks and have resulted in several closures over the last year.The 148-page report discusses several ideas of where exactly to move the tracks.With the move, the tracks will be upgraded to create a double track, so trains don't have to wait for one another to pass, plus creating straighter tracks, both would cut down on travel time. The plan details speeds up to 110 mph.Two options for the Crest Canyon Alignment were studied, crossing either above or below Carmel Valley Road. (SANDAG)Camino Del Mar Alignment (SANDAG)Crest Canyon Higher Speed Alignment (SANDAG)“The kind of high-speed transit that’s provided on the East Coast," SANDAG Deputy CEO Coleen Clementson said. “There’s been a lot o...

Sheriff says 9 deputies charged in death of man beaten in Memphis jail

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Nine Memphis jail deputies have been indicted in the death of a Black man who was having a psychotic episode and died in custody last fall after jailers punched, kicked and kneeled on his back during a confrontation, a sheriff said Wednesday. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, who oversees the jail where 33-year-old Gershun Freeman was beaten, disclosed the existence of the indictments during a news conference Wednesday but declined to offer more details, including the names of the county jail deputies and the charges they face. The Associated Press was unable to obtain the indictments late Wednesday. But lawyers for Freeman’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit against Bonner said the indictments were sealed. They declined to name the jailers and the charges, only saying that they are serious.Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk released video in March of Freeman at the Shelby County Jail.The video shows Freeman was beaten by at least 10 corrections of...

Azerbaijan claims full control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region as Armenian forces agree to disarm

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Azerbaijan claimed full control of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region Wednesday after local Armenian forces there agreed to lay down their weapons following the latest outbreak of fighting in the decades-long separatist conflict.Authorities in the ethnic Armenian region that has run its affairs without international recognition since fighting broke out in the early 1990s declared around midday that local self-defense forces will disarm and disband under a Russia-mediated cease-fire.They also said representatives of the region will start talks Thursday with the Baku government on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev trumpeted victory in a televised address to the nation, saying that “in just one day, Azerbaijan fulfilled all the tasks set as part of local anti-terrorist measures” and “restored its sovereignty.”On Tuesday, the Azerbaijan army unleashed an artillery barrage and drone attacks against outnum...

Under pressure over border, Biden administration to protect hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Wednesday that it was granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country — quickly making them eligible to work — as it grapples with growing numbers of people fleeing the South American country and elsewhere to arrive at the U.S. border with Mexico.The move — along with promises to accelerate work permits for many migrants — may appease Democratic leaders who have pressured the White House to do more to aid asylum-seekers, while also providing grist for Republicans who say the president has been too lax on immigration.The Homeland Security Department plans to grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31, 2023, making it easier for them to get authorization to work in the U.S. That’s been a key demand of Democratic mayors and governors who are struggling to care for an increased number of migrants in their care.Tha...

UK leader Rishi Sunak delays ban on new gas and diesel cars by 5 years in contentious climate shift

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:26:02 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Wednesday that he’s delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that had been due to take effect in 2030, watering down climate goals that he said imposed “unacceptable costs” on ordinary people.The move angered green groups, opposition politicians and large chunks of U.K. industry, but was welcomed by some in the governing Conservative Party who chafe at the expense of ending the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.At a news conference, Sunak said he was moving the deadline for buying new gasoline and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, weakening a ban on new new natural-gas home furnaces due to start in 2035, and scrapping a requirement for landlords to make properties more energy-efficient.He said he would keep a promise to reduce the U.K.’s emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, but with “a more pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach.”In a statement designed at least in part to w...