Hartford, CT
Business
Big Lots Unveils Reopening Plan For Hundreds Of Stores After Bankruptcy Filing Big Lots Unveils Reopening Plan For Hundreds Of Stores After Bankruptcy Filing
Big Lots Unveils Reopening Plan For Hundreds Of Stores After Bankruptcy Filing Big Lots stores will reopen under new ownership more than seven months after the chain filed for bankruptcy. Discount retailer Variety Wholesalers, the new owner of Big Lots, announced the reopening plan in a news release on Friday, April 4. Big Lots applied for bankruptcy in September 2024 and Variety Wholesalers purchased hundreds of locations about three months later. Variety is planning a four-phase rollout following the company’s acquisition of 219 Big Lots locations out of bankruptcy. "We're thrilled to bring the Big Lots! brand back to life by offering more deals…

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by Chris Spiker
Somerville, MA
Politics
Tufts Student Arrested By Agents In Somerville, Moved To Louisiana Detention Center: Report Tufts Student Arrested By Agents In Somerville, Moved To Louisiana Detention Center: Report
Tufts Student Arrested By Agents In Somerville, Moved To Louisiana Detention Center: Report A Tufts University student who was arrested by federal agents in Massachusetts last week was later located in a detention center more than 1,500 miles away in Louisiana, CNN reported. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was walking to meet friends for dinner after breaking her Ramadan fast on Tuesday, March 25, in Somerville, Massachusetts, when six plainclothes officers approached her and took her into custody. Officers hid their faces with cloth coverings and masks before putting her in handcuffs and into the back of an unmarked police car.  The incident was recorded on surveillance video and circul…

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by Josh Lanier
Trenton, NJ
Police & Fire
Trenton Man Arrested In Louisiana After Fatal Drive-By Shooting: Prosecutor Trenton Man Arrested In Louisiana After Fatal Drive-By Shooting: Prosecutor
Trenton Man Arrested In Louisiana After Fatal Drive-By Shooting: Prosecutor A 33-year-old Trenton man was apprehended in Louisiana on Wednesday, March 19 after fatally shooting a man last week, authorities said. At 9:23 p.m. on Thursday, March 13,, police responded to Dayton and Grand Streets after a Shot Spotter detected multiple rounds of gunfire, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta Marbrey said. Officers located a white Toyota4Runner parked in the middle of the 300 block of Dayton Street with Wilmer Eliu Vidal Romero in the driver's seat, Marbrey said. Romero was bleeding excessively from a gunshot wound, Marbrey said. He was transported to Capital Health Regional…

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by Sam Barron
Towson, MD
News
These Maryland Bridges Are At Risk Of Failure, NTSB Says After Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore These Maryland Bridges Are At Risk Of Failure, NTSB Says After Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore
These Maryland Bridges Are At Risk Of Failure, NTSB Says After Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore The catastrophic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is sparking national concern as federal investigators warn that nearly 70 other bridges across the country could face a similar fate. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday, March 20, recommended that 30 bridge owners conduct urgent vulnerability assessments after an investigation into the deadly collapse of the Key Bridge found it was nearly 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical structures. Key Bridge collapse. Baltimore County PD According to the NTSB, 68 bri…

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by Zak Failla
Bloomfield, CT
Business
Recall Issued For 75,000 Bottles Of Popular Creamer Due To Health Hazards Recall Issued For 75,000 Bottles Of Popular Creamer Due To Health Hazards
Recall Issued For 75,000 Bottles Of Popular Creamer Due To Health Hazards A popular coffee creamer has been recalled due to potential health risks, affecting thousands of bottles distributed across 31 states. International Delight has voluntarily recalled over 75,000 bottles of its coffee creamer after reports of spoilage and illness from consumers, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall, initiated on Friday, Feb. 21, was classified as Class II by the FDA on Wednesday, March 12 — indicating that while health risks are not life-threatening, they could cause temporary or medically reversible issues. The recall affects two flavors of Int…

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by Joe Lombardi
Bronxville, NY
Business
Recall Issued For Popular Snack Brands Sold In 36 States, Including NY Recall Issued For Popular Snack Brands Sold In 36 States, Including NY
Recall Issued For Popular Snack Brands Sold In 36 States, Including NY Consumers in multiple states are being urged to check their snack cabinets after a major recall affecting a popular brand of biscuits, wafers, and snack rolls. ZB Importing LLC is voluntarily recalling certain lots of six varieties of Ulker Brand snack products due to undeclared wheat, egg, and/or milk in the ingredient list and/or "Contains" statement on product labels.  People with allergies or severe sensitivities to these ingredients could experience serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume the affected items. Affected Distribution Areas Products were distributed thr…

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by Joe Lombardi
Bridgeport, CT
Business
Louisiana-Inspired Daiquiris, Cajun Eats Arrive In Bridgeport At New Restaurant Louisiana-Inspired Daiquiris, Cajun Eats Arrive In Bridgeport At New Restaurant
Louisiana-Inspired Daiquiris, Cajun Eats Arrive In Bridgeport At New Restaurant A taste of New Orleans has arrived in Connecticut. Southern Classic Daiquiri Factory opened in downtown Bridgeport, bringing its Louisiana-inspired flavors and signature frozen cocktails to Fairfield County. The restaurant at 997 Main Street held a soft opening on Friday, Feb. 7. Known for its bold Southern dishes and colorful daiquiris, the restaurant offers a menu featuring Cajun classics like gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and alligator bites. Customers can choose from a variety of signature daiquiris, including hurricane, peach, and piña colada. Southern Classic also offers plenty of other …

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by Chris Spiker
Newark, NJ
News
NJ Families See Groceries Take Smallest Share Of Income In US, New Study Says NJ Families See Groceries Take Smallest Share Of Income In US, New Study Says
NJ Families See Groceries Take Smallest Share Of Income In US, New Study Says Inflation and soaring grocery prices are squeezing US households at the beginning of 2025, but a new study says Northeast families are spending less of their income on food than other parts of the country. A study from WalletHub called States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Groceries was released on Thursday, Feb. 13. Despite higher food costs, residents in many Northeast and mid-Atlantic states spend a smaller share of their incomes on groceries compared to others. WalletHub said the cost of groceries has surged more than 25 percent since 2019, straining household…

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by Chris Spiker
Albany, NY
Politics
'You Are Not To Cooperate': Hochul Bars Police From Arresting NY Doctor In Abortion Case 'You Are Not To Cooperate': Hochul Bars Police From Arresting NY Doctor In Abortion Case
'You Are Not To Cooperate': Hochul Bars Police From Arresting NY Doctor In Abortion Case New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is doubling down on her refusal to extradite a Hudson Valley doctor charged with violating Louisiana’s abortion laws. In a video statement Thursday, Feb. 13, Hochul said she would not be signing an extradition order for Ulster County-based Dr. Margaret Carpenter that was sent by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry hours earlier, citing New York’s so-called “shield laws.” Carpenter, a family physician based in New Paltz, was indicted last month by a Louisiana grand jury alongside her medical practice, Nightingale Medical, and a third individual, as Daily Voice reported. The…

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by Michael Mashburn
Greenbelt, MD
Police & Fire
Man Dies Weeks After Crash In Maryland Man Dies Weeks After Crash In Maryland
Man Dies Weeks After Crash In Maryland An 86-year-old Greenbelt man who was hospitalized after a serious crash in late January has died from his injuries, authorities confirmed. Paul Benoit was involved in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Glenn Dale Boulevard and Daisy Lane on Jan. 23 at approximately 4:10 p.m., according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.  He was transported to a hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 8:45 p.m., officials said. A longtime friend, Paul Cawley, confirmed Benoit’s passing, saying he had been scheduled for a third surgery on Feb.…

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by Zak Failla
New Paltz-Gardiner, NY
Politics
Hochul Won't Extradite New Paltz Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill Hochul Won't Extradite New Paltz Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill
Hochul Won't Extradite New Paltz Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill New York will not extradite a Hudson Valley doctor who was criminally charged with violating Louisiana’s abortion laws, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. It comes after a jury indicted Ulster County-based Dr. Margaret Carpenter, of New Paltz, along with her company, Nightingale Medical, and the mother of a minor girl on Friday, Jan. 31, alleging that Carpenter shipped the girl an abortion pill. The pill, Mifeprestone, caused the girl to have a medical emergency which terminated the pregnancy, Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB reports. All three were charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-in…

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by Michael Mashburn
Annapolis, MD
News
First US Human Death From Bird Flu Reported First US Human Death From Bird Flu Reported
First US Human Death From Bird Flu Reported Authorities have confirmed the first human death in the United States caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1.  The announcement was made by the Louisiana Department of Health on Monday, Jan. 6.  Earlier Report: First Severe Bird Flu Case Confirmed In US The patient, a man over 65 with underlying health conditions, was hospitalized before succumbing to the illness after exposure to a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds. The Louisiana Department of Health said it has conducted a public health investigation and found no additional cases or …

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by Joe Lombardi