Middlesex County's COVID-19 cases up 10.6%; Massachusetts cases up 8.8%
Mike StuckaUSA TODAY NETWORKNew coronavirus cases increased 8.8% in Massachusetts in the week ending Sunday as the state added 10,060 cases. Last week, coronavirus cases in the United States increased 5.4% from the week before, with 1,086,936 cases reported. Middlesex County reported 1,820 cases and seven deaths last week. In the week ending Sunday, Massachusetts reported administering another 81,313 vaccine doses, including 38,854 first doses. In all, Massachusetts reported it has administered 9,448,906 total doses.
Source:MetroXpress
August 30, 2021 11:37 UTC
One week of high school football practices in, what have we learned?
For at least the start of the season, the Blackstone Valley Tech football team will be without its head coach, Jim Archibald. "The timeline for his return is really up to his health," interim head coach Anthony Landini said this week. New coach, same systemOver the offseason, the Tri-County football team got a "new" head coach. There was only a five-month gap between the final snap of last football season to the first practices of this upcoming season compared the typical nine-month hiatus. Even though that is the case, Marlborough football coach Sean Mahoney noted that there are still a few kids who have surprised him.
Source:MetroXpress
August 30, 2021 11:26 UTC
McDonald’s, others consider closing indoor seating amid Delta surge in U.S
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Some U.S. fast-food restaurants are closing indoor seating areas or limiting hours of operation because of the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, according to franchisees. In Wednesday’s conference call, McDonald’s executives recommended franchisees consider closing indoor seating in counties where COVID cases exceed 250 per 100,000 people on a rolling three-week average. The materials did not specify how many locations have shut indoor seating or could soon do so. One McDonald’s franchisee who operates multiple locations told Reuters it had to bar indoor seating at several restaurants. Top U.S. health officials said on Friday that U.S. cases of the coronavirus continue to rise amid the fast-spreading Delta variant.
Source:MetroXpress
August 30, 2021 10:07 UTC
Oil slips as Hurricane Ida weakens, OPEC+ in focus
LONDON (Reuters) -Oil slipped on Monday, giving up an earlier rally to a four-week high, as Hurricane Ida weakened after forcing shutdowns of U.S. Gulf oil production, and OPEC+ looked set to go ahead with a planned oil output increase. Nearly all offshore Gulf oil production, or 1.74 million barrels per day, was suspended in advance of the storm. “Hurricane Ida will dictate oil’s near-term direction,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA. OPEC+ meets on Wednesday to discuss a scheduled 400,000 bpd increase in its oil output, in what would be a further easing of the record output cuts made last year. OPEC delegates say they expect the increase to go ahead, although Kuwait’s oil minister said on Sunday it could be reconsidered.
Source:MetroXpress
August 30, 2021 08:26 UTC
China Huarong in talks with investors after $16 billion loss
SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Chinese state-owned asset manager China Huarong Asset Management sought on Monday to turn the page on a deep annual loss, as its chairman said it was in talks with potential new strategic investors alongside a CITIC-led consortium. Wang Zhanfeng, on an earnings call a day after releasing results, said many investors continue to have faith in Huarong, and that it was speaking with potential new domestic and foreign strategic investors. On Sunday, Huarong announced a first-half 2021 profit of 158.3 million yuan ($24.5 million) and a nearly $16 billion loss for 2020. In its half-year report, China Huarong listed liabilities totalling 1.54 trillion yuan, including 107.5 billion yuan in bond payables falling due within one year, and 577.9 billion yuan in borrowings falling due within one year. The mid-price on 4% perpetual bonds issued by subsidiary Huarong Finance 2017 Co Ltd rose about 1 cent to 94.781 following the call, according to data from Duration Finance, compared with a low of below 53 cents in May.
Source:MetroXpress
August 30, 2021 07:52 UTC
Oil drops as Hurricane Ida weakens, OPEC in focus
By Alex LawlerLONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices dropped from a four-week high on Monday as Hurricane Ida weakened after forcing precautionary shutdowns of U.S. Gulf oil production, and attention turned to an OPEC meeting on Wednesday to discuss a further output boost. Nearly all offshore Gulf oil production, or 1.74 million barrels per day, was suspended in advance of the storm. “Hurricane Ida will dictate oil’s near-term direction,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA. OPEC+ meets on Wednesday to discuss a scheduled 400,000 bpd increase in its oil output, in what would be a further easing of the record output cuts made last year. Kuwait’s oil minister said on Sunday the increase could be reconsidered, although OPEC delegates have said they expect it to go ahead.
Source:MetroXpress
August 30, 2021 01:00 UTC
Biden visits FEMA headquarters for Ida briefing
(Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Sunday visited the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington for a briefing about Hurricane Ida, which came barreling ashore in Louisiana earlier in the day, the White House said. Biden stopped at FEMA upon returning to Washington from Dover Air Force Base, where he had viewed the return of the remains of 13 U.S. soldiers killed in last week’s bombing outside Kabul’s airport. A Category 4 storm and one of the most powerful to hit the U.S. mainland in years, Ida was set to plunge much of the Louisiana shoreline under water as the state grapples with a COVID-19 surge already taxing hospitals. (Reporting By Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Dan Burns)
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 23:16 UTC
Over 500,000 people without power due to Hurricane Ida -Entergy Louisiana website
(Reuters) – More than 500,000 people were without power in Louisiana because of Hurricane Ida, Entergy Louisiana’s website showed on Sunday. The energy company’s outage map showed the number of affected customers at 541,606 as of 6:50 p.m. EDT (2250 GMT) on Sunday. Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, forcing those who did not flee to brace themselves for the toughest test yet of the billions of dollars spent on levee upgrades following Hurricane Katrina 16 years ago. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 19:07 UTC
Biden attends grim homecoming for U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan attack
(Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden shut his eyes and tilted his head back as the flag-draped cases carrying the remains of 11 American service members killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan emerged on Sunday from a military plane at a base in Delaware. None of the fallen service members was over the age of 31, and five were just 20, as old as the war itself. Earlier on Sunday, Biden and his wife met with grieving family members of some of the fallen American service members. The remains of two other U.S. service members killed in the attack are being brought home privately at the request of their families. The U.S. military said on Saturday it had killed two ISIS-K militants in a drone attack in eastern Afghanistan.
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 12:44 UTC
Candidates for Framingham mayor, city council talk at virtual debate
FRAMINGHAM — Inclusivity, the "toxicity" of current city government and how the next public health crisis should be handled were hot topics during a virtual candidates forum on Saturday as candidates running for Framingham mayor and the District 7 seat on the City Council answered questions about residents' top concerns. Mayor and the City Council District 7 seat are the only two positions to draw more than two candidates, thus prompting the need for a preliminary election. "Right now, there’s a toxic relationship between the mayor’s administration and the City Council — that has to change so we can get things done as a team." Sisitsky: One missed opportunity by the current administration was not coordinating with the City Council for input on appointments, he said. Mallach: The "toxicity" within city government, and how the mayor and City Council don’t work collaboratively enough, she said.
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 12:11 UTC
The top returning local high school field hockey players entering fall 2021
Field hockey is pretty much "back to normal," Holliston coach Alyssa Healey said. Sophie Brady, MedwayBrady played her first season of varsity field hockey this past fall and excelled at a high level for the Mustangs. “She led by example and became one of our field generals.”Brady hopes to play lacrosse or field hockey, or both, in college. She is a three-year varsity starter and plays club for Bay State Field Hockey. Also a distance runner on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams, Hastings hopes to play field hockey in college.
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 11:26 UTC
Local firefighters graduate from state Firefighting Academy
STOW — Several new firefighters graduated Friday from the state Firefighting Academy and will join several local fire departments. In all, 42 graduates who attended the 50-day academy held at the Stow and the Bridgewater campuses graduated in a ceremony at the Stow academy. “First responders are on the frontlines protecting their communities, and these newest firefighters are needed now more than ever,” Deputy state Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier, who is serving as the Firefighting Academy director, said in a release. “This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said in the release. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 09:11 UTC
Paula M. Parker: Calm strength, not vulnerability, is a leader's advantage
Leadership vulnerability… big deal. But on a scale of 1 to 10, emphasis on leadership vulnerability is about 157. But calm, mature, strength is, and always will be, a leader’s advantage. Barking aside, leaders, you alone decide when and where vulnerability is appropriate. Paula M. Parker, of Ashland, is a business adviser.
Source:MetroXpress
August 29, 2021 09:00 UTC
Millis and Nipmuc football programs show promise as they continue to build for future
MILLIS — The last time the Millis football team played, the Mohawks had a dramatic come-from-behind victory. On Saturday, the Millis football team hosted Nipmuc in a scrimmage in which Martellio described as "more like a joint practice." Read: Nipmuc shuts out BMR-Hopedale in dominating opening season win in Franklin"With me not playing last season, it's especially good to be back out here playing football with the boys," Ramsey said. Seeing them play football, all you want to do is to go out there and play some football. "We tried to focus more on the run, which we did but it's just great to be back playing football."
Source:MetroXpress
August 28, 2021 22:52 UTC
D.C.'s LGBTQ softball league seeks new recruits for its "Fall Ball" recreational season
The Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League, D.C.’s LGBTQ+ softball organization, is recruiting new members for its “Fall Ball” season, scheduled to start on Saturday, September 18. Unlike CAPS’ longer spring-summer season, which features a more competitive level of play, Fall Ball is a recreational season, with teams arranged by the CAPS executive board to ensure an equal playing field based on abilities. “Fall Ball is really intended to take a break from competition. “It can sometimes be hard being in competitive softball, because you may not always be accepted and you’re in more of a ‘straight’ environment. So returning to play softball, for me, renewed my love for the sport.
Source:MetroXpress
August 28, 2021 22:07 UTC