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Francis Henry Vittek, Baltimore County Police Dept. colonel signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, dies

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

Francis Henry Vittek, a Baltimore County Police Department colonel who — as a promising young catcher — was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, died of complications from an infection July 12 at Brightview Bel Air, a senior living community. He was ten days short of his 95th birthday.Born in Baltimore and raised in Overlea, he was the son of Frank Vittek, chief inspector of weights and measures for Baltimore County, and Emma Steidle, a homemaker.He was a graduate of Kenwood High School, where he was a catcher on the baseball team. He was recruited by both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers after his 1946 graduation.After going through training at a Dodgers minor league camp in Cambridge on the Eastern Shore, he developed shoulder problems that sidelined his baseball career.Mr. Vittek enlisted in the Army and was assigned to a Tokyo military hospital as a reconditioning officer.“He had very fond memories of his time in Japan and was so happy to have met General...

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol makes surprise visit to Ukraine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday, offering an apparent show of support for the country in its war against Russia.Yoon’s office said he traveled to Ukraine with his wife, Kim Keon Hee, following trips to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland. It’s his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine almost 17 months ago. Yoon toured Bucha and Irpin, a pair of small cities near Kyiv where bodies of civilians were found in the streets and mass graves after Russian troops retreated from the capital region last year. He laid flowers at a monument to the country’s war dead.The South Korean leader was scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later in the day, Yoon’s senior adviser for press affairs, Kim Eun-hye, said in a statement.South Korea, a key U.S. ally in Asia, joined international sanctions against Russia and has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine.Bu...

Detroit artist adds softer, spiritual touch to multi-story mural off Prior and University in St. Paul

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

Just north of University and Prior avenues in St. Paul, visual artist Sydney James put the finishing touches Thursday on a mural roughly 20 feet tall covering the entire exterior side wall of the Northern Salt Incorporated building, an unlikely canvas for a spiritual meditation on youth, death, water and grieving.Previously banal, the wall — which faces the parking lot of the Menards home improvement store — now forms a warmer, softer gateway to the neighborhood’s industrial district.Detroit-based artist Sydney James, left, with the help of Twin Cities artist Sharon Liu, works on her ‘”Sometimes Water Keeps You Grounded” mural at the Northern Salt Incorporated building in St. Paul on Thursday, July 13, 2023.  (John Autey / Pioneer Press)“Sometimes Water Keeps You Grounded” depicts a young girl — James said she drew on the composite “essence” of a Dakota girl, though her own identity as a Black woman pokes through — ag...

Ahmadi Religion Files Lawsuit against Türkiye at European Court of Human Rights following violent pushback at Turkey border

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

One hundred and one members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace, detained in the Republic of Türkiye, lodge a collective interim measure request at the European Court of Human Rights as a reaction to the ongoing and severe violations of their rights.On 11 July 2023, with the support of the pro bono project “Rule 39 Initiative” (CILD), 101members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Lights lodged a request for interim measuresagainst the Republic of Türkiye before the European Court for Human Rights.Since 24 May 2023, the group (which includes 22 minors, several elderly individuals, and atleast 27 people suffering from serious medical conditions) has been exposed in the Republicof Türkiye to severe and repeated violations of the rights protected by Article 3 of theEuropean Convention of Human Rights (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degradingtreatment).Notably, the group (composed of asylum-seekers who fled religiously motivated persecutionin their home countries) has been subject to...

Horoscopes July 15, 2023: Forest Whitaker, pay attention to details

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Tristan Wilds, 34; Lana Parrilla, 46; Jason Bonham, 57; Forest Whitaker, 62.Happy Birthday: Do what you can to help others this year, but not at the expense of falling behind or giving up on your dreams. Changing how you do things will improve how others treat you. Building a solid reputation will stop those trying to take advantage of you. Pay attention to details, and put your energy where it counts. Your numbers are 7, 15, 22, 27, 34, 36, 40.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look for alternatives if you face a technicality about property, family or legal issues. Act on your own behalf instead of trusting someone else to do your work. Change begins with you, so start the ball rolling, and don’t look back. 4 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be realistic when making decisions. Research and practicality will guide you to victory. Stay on course and refuse to let someone with pie-in-the-sky ideas dictate what to do next. Choose a simpler lifestyle, and you&#...

Ask Amy: It was a great party, but it will be awkward when we next see these people

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

Dear Amy: We had a party tonight.It’s not easy to throw parties – from planning, setting up the house, buying and preparing food, etc.First, I would like to remind folks that it’s common courtesy to respond. There were eight people who didn’t even RSVP.Second, out of 35 people who responded yes, two canceled the night before, two canceled two minutes before the party started, and six were no-shows.Shame on them.We did have a great time, loved the people who attended, and made some great memories; however, the leftover food is a waste and the inconsiderate “friends” left us feeling embarrassed and sad.Are people really that selfish and clueless?What do we say to these people the next time we see them?Done Entertaining in DenverDear Done: Yes, it is common courtesy to respond to an invitation.And yes, common courtesy isn’t all that common.Hosts should anticipate and be prepared for some last-minute cancellations; our increased awareness of the transmission of viruses makes...

Harriette Cole: My mom takes money from my bank account to give to my siblings

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a high school student facing a situation that I’m not sure how to handle.My mother and I have a custodial bank account, and while she has access to my account, I am not allowed to see hers.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: Everyone wants my success tips, but they don’t really care about me Advice | Harriette Cole: Should I take my kids all this way to see their flaky father? Advice | Harriette Cole: My friend hit my car while he was helping me move. Who pays for it? Advice | Harriette Cole: This is my road trip, and she keeps butting in Advice | Harriette Cole: This B-list celebrity is a drag on our event The problem is that sometimes she sends money from my account to my siblings without informing me beforehand. She usually pays me back. It’s becoming frustrating, and I’m starting to feel like I’m not in control of my own finances.Do I have a rig...

‘We will be missing her forever’: Montgomery Co. man sentenced to 40 years for wife’s murder

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

Nerlande Foreste's brother described her as "an amazing human being." (Courtesy Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office)(Carrera, Gabriel) Nerlande Foreste's brother described her as "an amazing human being." (Courtesy Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office)(Carrera, Gabriel) A Montgomery County man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 2019 murder of his wife Friday afternoon, in a historic “no-body” case that largely relied on his own daughter’s testimony against him.Jean J. Pierre, 50, was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury in May 2023. According to State’s Attorney John McCarthy, this is only the third time in Maryland history that there has been a murder convict...

West Ham announces sale of Declan Rice for British record fee. Arsenal is his likely destination

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

LONDON (AP) — West Ham announced the departure of Declan Rice on Saturday for what the club said would be a British-record transfer fee. Arsenal was the England midfielder’s likely destination.West Ham didn’t reveal the team Rice would be joining or the fee in a statement that was accompanied by a message from the player to West Ham’s fans, saying it was a “tough” decision driven by his “ambition to play at the very highest level of the game.”“Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience,” the 24-year-old Rice said. “I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.”Arsenal is reportedly paying an initial fee of 100 million pounds ($131 million) for Rice, who spent nine years with West Ham. There are also likely to be add-ons to the fee.The reported initial fee is the same as the British-record sum that Manchester...

DC-area storm damage stopped trains for hours, knocked off power for thousands

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:33 GMT

Withering storms hit the District, Maryland and Virginia on Friday night. There were serious impacts on traffic and power for consumers across the region. Officials also reported cleanup efforts throughout the night, after significant damage from the storms.Damages included the roof being torn off a District building, several downed trees and powerlines in Prince George’s and Montgomery County, Maryland, and even hail in northern Virginia. There were 7,000 without power in the D.C. area at one point on Friday night, that number went down to a little over 1,000 by Saturday morning.After the rain and winds had calmed, the thunderstorm’s impact continued to be felt by local commuters and families through early Saturday morningAmtrak trains were delayed between Fairfax Station and Manassas near Burke, Virginia. The Crescent Train 19, train 171 and train 66 were stopped near Burke, Virginia, while debris was on the track. Some customers tell WTOP they were stuck for hours wit...