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World War II Era Letter In Bottle Discovered By Woman During Tropical Storm Debby World War II Era Letter In Bottle Discovered By Woman During Tropical Storm Debby
World War II Era Letter In Bottle Discovered By Woman During Tropical Storm Debby Shortly after Debby made landfall along Florida's west coast as a Category 1 hurricane earlier this month, it produced something no forecaster — or anyone else — could have predicted. Suzanne Flament Smith, age 46, of Tampa, discovered it on Wednesday, Aug. 7, in the form of a World War II-era artifact. She said she found it while collecting debris in the city of Safety Harbor. It was a bottle sealed by a cork. Inside was a handwritten letter from a location in Virginia over 800 miles away near Virginia Beach. Above is a closer view of the letterhead, which reads, "United States Navy Amphi…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Man Kills Parents Before Jumping To Death From NY Bridge, Police Say Man Kills Parents Before Jumping To Death From NY Bridge, Police Say
Man Kills Parents Before Jumping To Death From NY Bridge, Police Say A man from the region murdered both of his parents before jumping to his death from a highway bridge in upstate New York, police said. Troopers in Albany were called about a man threatening to jump from the Patroon Island Bridge (I-90) at around 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15. Before they could get there, the man jumped and was found dead below the bridge. New York State Police identified the man as 35-year-old Jordan Miklowitz, of Schenectady. The incident shut down the northbound lanes of I-787 for nearly three-and-a-half hours. Southbound traffic was also briefly halted. An investigation fou…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Newly Minted Millionaire: Mass. Woman Knows How She'll Spend Her Cash Newly Minted Millionaire: Mass. Woman Knows How She'll Spend Her Cash
Newly Minted Millionaire: Mass. Woman Knows How She'll Spend Her Cash A Bristol County woman said she has big plans for the $1 million lottery jackpot she won earlier this week.  Donna Balut, of New Bedford, won the cash playing the “$2,000,000 50X Cashword” All five of the $2 million jackpots remain in the $10 scratch-off game as well as nine of 10 $1 million prizes.  Related: Phew! Woman Claims $1 Million Prize Just Weeks Before It Expired Balut chose to take the lump-sum payment of $650,000 (before taxes) rather than the annuity. She said she would use the money on her home.  Balut bought the ticket at Belleville Discount Gas at 535 B…

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by Josh Lanier
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COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern
Covid-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern A surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and around the globe is sparking concern among health officials who are warning that more severe variants of the virus may be coming. “COVID-19 is still very much with us and circulating in all countries," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said in a news conference last week. “Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks." Wastewater surveillance suggests that the circulation of COVID is two to 20 times…

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by Joe Lombardi
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NY County's Mask Ban Signed Into Law; Here's Possible Sentence For Violations NY County's Mask Ban Signed Into Law; Here's Possible Sentence For Violations
NY County's Mask Ban Signed Into Law; Here's Possible Sentence For Violations It’s now against the law to cover your face in public in this New York county. On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the “Mask Transparency Act” into law during a ceremony held Wednesday morning, Aug. 14. It came a little more than a week after the Republican-controlled county legislature passed the act by a vote of 12-0 on Monday, Aug. 5. All seven Democrats abstained from voting. Earlier Report: Nassau County Criminalizes Mask Wearing Amid Rise In Covid-19 Cases The bill makes it a misdemeanor for anyone 16 and older to wear a face mask in public spaces in…

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by Michael Mashburn
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$4M Lottery Jackpot: Mass. Man Plans To Use His Newfound Millions To Help Others $4M Lottery Jackpot: Mass. Man Plans To Use His Newfound Millions To Help Others
$4M Lottery Jackpot: Mass. Man Plans To Use His Newfound Millions To Help Others A New Bedford man decided to treat himself to a $10 lottery ticket while shopping for a friend's birthday present. He walked away a millionaire, and the present was probably nice as well.  Robert J. Ostrye Jr. won the $4 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s game "$4,000,000 Monopoly Doubler." There are two remaining grand prizes and two $1 million prizes as well.  Ostrye chose the lump-sum payment of $2,600,000 (before taxes). He wants to finish some home renovations but also help others. He bought the winning ticket at Jay’s Wine & Spirits at 446…

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by Josh Lanier
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Person From Virginia Third To Die From Listeria Outbreak Linked To Boar's Head Deli Meat Person From Virginia Third To Die From Listeria Outbreak Linked To Boar's Head Deli Meat
Person From Virginia Third To Die From Listeria Outbreak Linked To Boar's Head Deli Meat A person from Virginia has become the third person to die during an ongoing Listeria food poisoning outbreak linked to millions of pounds of Boar's Head deli meats that were recalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an update on Thursday, Aug. 8 advising that there have been nine more cases reported in connection to the recall, bringing the total to 43 hospitalized - three of which who died, including one from Virginia. No details about the person who died in Virginia have been released. Two others in the state have also been sickened with Listeria amid the outbr…

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by Zak Failla
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Mass Astronaut May Be Stuck In Space Until 2025 As NASA Mulls 'Other Options' For Starliner Mass Astronaut May Be Stuck In Space Until 2025 As NASA Mulls 'Other Options' For Starliner
Mass Astronaut May Be Stuck In Space Until 2025 As NASA Mulls 'Other Options' For Starliner What was supposed to be an eight-day trip to the International Space Station may end up lasting much, much longer for an astronaut from Massachusetts. Two months after the Boeing-built Starliner blasted off from Florida’s Space Coast on its first crewed flight, NASA announced that pilot Suni Williams, from the town of Needham in Norfolk County, and commander Butch Wilmore may not come home until February 2025. In a mission update Wednesday, Aug. 7, NASA and Boeing leaders said they were still figuring out how to safely bring the pair back to Earth and that they may have to ride back on a Sp…

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by Michael Mashburn
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You Can Audition For 'American Idol' Virtually — As Long As You Were Born Between These Dates You Can Audition For 'American Idol' Virtually — As Long As You Were Born Between These Dates
You Can Audition For 'American Idol' Virtually — As Long As You Were Born Between These Dates Are you the next "American Idol?" The popular ABC singing competition is holding virtual auditions for the upcoming season this month and next. As long as you are of a certain age (scroll down for audition dates). According to the "American Idol" casting application website, contestants must be born between June 2, 1995 and Feb. 15, 2010.  Additionally, contestants must be legal U.S. residents authorized to participate in the entire competition. Auditions for residents in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania via Zoom will be Wednesday, Aug. 21.  Virginia re…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Jackpot!: $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Newton Jackpot!: $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Newton
Jackpot!: $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Newton One Bay Stater had a life-changing moment on Saturday, Aug. 3, when they correctly guessed the numbers in a multi-state lottery and won $1 million.  The winner purchased a Powerball ticket in Newton and got all five drawn numbers right, but they missed the Powerball, which would have netted them more than $174 million.  The winning numbers were: 13, 33, 40, 60, and 61, with the Powerball being 20.  The winner's name has not been released.  The winning ticket was purchased at Quik Stop at 293 Watertown St. in Newton. The store will get $10,000 for the sale.  …

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by Josh Lanier
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Newly Minted Millionaire: $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Lexington Newly Minted Millionaire: $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Lexington
Newly Minted Millionaire: $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Lexington One lucky Bay Stater turned a $50 lottery ticket into a $1 million payday this week.  The DNC Flame Lily Trust of Quincy collected the seven-figure check on Thursday, Aug. 1. The winner won by playing the "Lifetime Millions" game, which has two $1 million grand prizes remaining in circulation. Related: Salem Woman Has Altruistic Plans For Her $1 Million Lottery Winnings The winner's name was not released since they used a trust to collect the winnings.  The winner chose to take the lump-sum payment of $650,000 (before taxes) rather than the annuity.  The winning tic…

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by Josh Lanier
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Jackpot!: $4M Grand Prize Lottery Ticket Sold In Brockton Jackpot!: $4M Grand Prize Lottery Ticket Sold In Brockton
Jackpot!: $4M Grand Prize Lottery Ticket Sold In Brockton A $10 scratch-off Massachusetts State Lottery ticket turned into a $4 million payday for one lucky Bay Stater this week.  The Betsy Ross Trust of Quincy claimed the massive check on Thursday, Aug. 1. It was the grand prize in the "Bonus 100X" scratch-off game.  Related: Phew — $1 Million Lottery Win Collected Days Before Ticket Was To Expire The lottery did not release the winner's name since they used a trust to collect their prize.  The winner chose to take the lump-sum payment of $2.6 million (before taxes) rather than the annuity.  The winning ticket was sold…

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by Josh Lanier