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5 novels by DC-area authors in 2023 to put on your holiday reading list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

Are you in a hurry to meet your annual reading goal, but not sure which story to fall into next?WTOP has you covered with this list of five new fiction works by local authors. The titles range in subgenre, length and subject matter, but they have two things in common: They were all written by D.C.-area residents, and they were all published this year.For more reading recommendations (and gift ideas for the bookworm in your life), check out WTOP’s favorite books to read in 2023.“Family Lore” by Elizabeth AcevedoNational Book Award-winning author Acevedo’s latest novel has been named a “best book of 2023” by the Washington Post, NPR and more. The story follows Flor, who can predict the exact date of someone’s death. The plot unfolds into a larger examination of “one family’s journey through their history, helping them better navigate all that is to come.”Born to Dominican immigrants in Harlem, New York, Acevedo earned her B.A. in P...

Cattoor’s 19 points lead Virginia Tech past Valparaiso 71-50

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Hunter Cattoor matched his season high with 19 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 71-50 win over Valparaiso on Saturday in the first meeting between the schools.Virginia Tech has won two straight after falling to No. 19 Florida Atlantic and Auburn back-to-back. The Hokies knocked off Louisville in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener Sunday.Virginia Tech (7-3) took the lead for good on Cattoor’s 3-pointer that made it 8-5 three minutes into the game. Brandon Rechsteiner’s trey with 6:28 left pushed the lead to 10 points and the Hokies never looked back to earn their fifth home-court win of the season. Cattoor hit a pair of 3-pointers to start the second half, pushing the lead to 45-27.Cattoor also scored 19 points in the Hokies’ 82-75 win over Boise State at the ESPN Events Invitational tournament. On Saturday, he hit 5 of 9 from the field, including 3 of 6 from the arc, and was 6-for-6 from the line. Lynn Kidd was 6-for-6 from the line amon...

Search underway for 15-year-old boy reported missing from Hollywood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

Police seek the public’s help in their search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing from Hollywood.According to Hollywood Police, Semaj Major was last seen along the 2800 block of Fillmore Street, at around 5:30 p.m., Friday.He stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs around 120 pounds, has short black hair and a slim build.Major was last seen wearing a black shirt, black shorts and black sandals.Officials urge anyone with information on the teen’s whereabouts to call Hollywood Police at 954-764-4357.

Federal agency issues warning on small magnetic balls linked to deaths

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning about the danger of high-powered, pea-sized magnets found in toys, announcing one company’s recall of a set containing them and saying it was aware of seven deaths linked to their ingestion.The federal agency estimated that ingestion of the magnets led to 2,400 hospital emergency room visits from 2017-2021 in addition to the deaths, two of which it said occurred outside the United States.“Consumers should stop using the recalled magnetic balls immediately, (and) take them away from children,” the commission said in an online notice. Made from rare-earth metals, each ball measures five millimeters.The safety commission said the magnets were stronger than permitted by federal toy regulations and could kill children if two or more are swallowed as they can attract each other in the stomach, perforating intestinal walls, twisting and/or blocking intestines — which could lead to infection and blood poisoning.The Neodymium Magne...

MLB Notes: What Shohei Ohtani signing with Dodgers means for the Red Sox

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

For a while on Friday it looked like the Red Sox were staring down a worst-case scenario.Juan Soto had already been traded to the New York Yankees, and now speculation was ramping up that Shohei Ohtani was on the verge of joining him in the AL East. Reports broke that Ohtani was flying to Toronto on a private jet, and that a Japanese countryman had reserved an entire restaurant to celebrate his signing with the Blue Jays.It was a done deal, or so the internet thought.Subsequent reporting threw cold water on the Toronto narrative, and then Saturday Ohtani dropped the bombshell himself. The two-time MVP announced he will be joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, and with that Red Sox fans everywhere could take a deep breath.Short of Ohtani signing in Boston himself, the two-way superstar staying in Los Angeles and moving to the National League is close to a best-case scenario for the Red Sox. Instead of having to deal with him up to 13 times per year with the Blue Jays, Boston will now only...

Green Line Extension to celebrate its 1-year anniversary with service disruptions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

The Medford-Tufts branch of the Green Line Extension opened with great fanfare on Dec. 12, 2022, a milestone decades in the making that officials promised would bring reliable transit service to suburbs just north of Boston.The project that cost the state $2.3 billion has not brought a smooth ride for commuters relying on the line’s five stops in Medford and Somerville.Riders will continue to feel disruptions on Tuesday, one year to the day that the GLX opened.Work to regauge the track, which MBTA officials knew as far back as April 2021 was defective and too narrow, will not be completed by Monday, as initially anticipated under a plan presented by project contractor, GLX Constructors.That means riders will be forced to forgo train service, and, instead, hop on shuttle buses beginning each night at 8:45 for at least the next week, with the MBTA granting the contractor an additional seven nights to continue the work, General Manager Phillip Eng announced Friday.The highly-publicized...

US Coast Guard helicopter that crashed during rescue mission in Alaska is recovered

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A helicopter that crashed in southeast Alaska during a rescue mission last month has been recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday. The downed Coast Guard helicopter was recovered Friday and an investigation was ongoing. The MH-60 Jayhawk crashed on Read Island, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of Sitka, on Nov. 13. The four aircrew members were taken to Seattle for treatment after the crash. They have since been released, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard previously described two of the crew members’ injuries as serious. “We are grateful our four crewmembers were released from Harborview Medical Center and are on the road to recovery,” Coast Guard Capt. Brian McLaughlin, who led recovery efforts, said in a statement. “We are also incredibly thankful to the many people and organizations who helped us recover the aircraft. Getting the helicopter to where our investigators can better examine the wreckage is the next step in the ongoing investig...

Thousands of Canadians died while waiting for surgery, research suggests number could be higher

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

Roughly 17,000 Canadians have died while waiting for surgery or diagnostic scans in 2022-23 but that number could be significantly higher, according to research published by SecondStreet.org.The report from the think tank shows patients were waiting for procedures that could have “potentially saved their lives” like a heart operation, and procedures that can improve their quality of life, like a hip operation.It states that 17,032 patients died after waiting anywhere from less than a week to nearly 11 years.“This is a problem that we’ve seen across Canada, we’ve seen it grow for several years now. It was something that was growing before COVID,” SecondStreet.org president Colin Craig told CityNews.“The reality is, unless we see some serious health reform in this country, I think we’re going to continue to see this problem persist.”The data was collected from freedom of information requests that were made to 33 health care bodies ...

Driver wanted after striking, dragging officer during police stop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

An officer suffered minor injuries when a man fled the scene after being pulled over by police.Police say they pulled over an eastbound vehicle on Harbour Street near York Street around 2:30 p.m. on Friday after the driver was observed using his cellphone while driving.After the driver refused to identify himself, he fled the scene dragging the officer a short distance before he fell onto the road.The officer was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries. They have since been released.The driver of the vehicle is described as having a medium build with a moustache and long braided black hair. The vehicle is described as a dark-coloured Mazda 3 hatchback.Police say the driver is facing charges of dangerous operation of a vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while using a handheld communications device.Photo of dark coloured Mazda 3 hatchback wanted in a dangerous driving investigation on Dec. 8, 2023. TPS/HO

Man seriously injured in TTC station stabbing; 4 suspects in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:33 GMT

Four people are in custody after a man was stabbed at a TTC station in the east end.Police say they received reports just before 3:30 p.m. of “numerous” teens with knives at Don Mills subway station.When they arrived they located a man suffering from a stab wound. Paramedics transported him to a trauma centre in serious but non-life threatening condition.Four suspects are in custody, according to police.