A suspect almost ran over a deputy during a police response, sparking a manhunt that ended with his arrest at gunpoint.
The drama played out in Palm Coast, Florida, on Nov. 2. It began when the Flagler County Sheriff’s 911 dispatch center was called to a possible domestic disturbance. A woman said she and a man, later identified as David Badal, had been arguing all night.
She said he had been screaming and crying and refused to let her leave the residence. A police unit was sent to investigate.
The authorities discovered the man outside the property. When they tried to question him, he said he had been told to leave and indicated the heated argument was about “his kid.”
However, when police asked him to walk to the driveway, Badal headed to a black Lexus SUV parked in the driveway. He opened the driver’s door, got inside, and locked himself in the vehicle.
He then ignored the police officer’s request to get out and drove away. Badal came dangerously close to running over the officer.
The footage shows him speeding off with police running to the patrol car and attempting to follow. However, the suspect had already vanished in his SUV.
Officer pointing a gun at the suspect in Flagler County, Florida. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)
Police then managed to track the vehicle down to Boulder Rock Drive, using a combination of a Be-on-the-Lookout (BOLO), as well as the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Real-Time Crime Center.
Once the suspect was located, armed units staked out the car. Eventually, he surrendered without incident.
Badal was later arrested for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and fleeing from a law enforcement officer. He is in custody on a $30,000 bond.
Officers arrest David Badal in Flagler County, Florida, on Nov. 2. The police initially answered a domestic-violence call. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)
Sheriff Rick Staly said: “This situation could have ended much worse for our deputies or the suspect. We could have had a Deputy Sheriff seriously injured because of his poor decisions and attempting to hit a Deputy Sheriff with his car.
“Our deputies showed great restraint, but we weren’t going to let him get away, and our team did a great job using every tool and resource available to find and arrest him.
“This dirtbag took a domestic-violence case and turned it into multiple felony charges, so I hope he likes his cell at the Green Roof Inn.”
There were 714 domestic violence related-offense reported in Flagler County in 2018 and 659 reported in 2019, according to the most recent data available from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Aryeh Holtz, a mechanical engineer and father of three from Jerusalem, was one of some 17,000 people who took part in the International Jerusalem Marathon on Oct. 29.
What made him stand out from the crowd? He ran the 10K while pushing his daughter Leah, a 24-year-old with severe physical and cognitive disabilities, in a lightweight running stroller that he made from scratch.
“I have been running the 10K at the Jerusalem Marathon for years, and I’ve always wanted to run it with Leah. But I didn’t have the right stroller, and I wasn’t sure if she would enjoy it,” Holtz said.
“After building an all-terrain stroller with the correct support, I started training with her, and it was clear that Leah loved it as much as I did.”
Aryeh Holtz pushing his daughter, Leah, in a homemade running stroller at the International Jerusalem Marathon on Oct. 29. (Courtesy of ADI)
Holtz decided to build a chair for Leah this year because he was never able to find anything commercially available that he felt was safe, light or durable enough.
While the average running stroller weighs 75 pounds, his pink version weighs only 53 pounds, and it can be converted into a regular wheelchair in just a few steps.
Leah is a special-education student at ADI Jerusalem, one of two ADI adi-israel.org facilities (formerly called ALEH Jerusalem and ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran) providing residential and rehabilitative care for Israeli children, adolescents and adults with severe disabilities.
Holtz and Leah’s twin sister, Miri, participated in the marathon as members of ADI Fleet, a diverse and inclusive team of staff members, volunteers and supporters that runs races in Israel and other countries to raise money for ADI.
“The ADI staff and volunteers have been very helpful, and we’re so happy to have great partners in Leah’s development, so it just seemed natural to tackle the 10K track,” said Holtz.
He completed the race in 1:02:38. “Leah beat me by a second,” he joked, saying that “while it might seem counterintuitive, running is an activity that we can do together, and it brings us closer.”
Meanwhile, 30 ADI Jerusalem residents used specially made walkers to complete the 800-meter Communities Track, and other members of ADI Fleet did the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon tracks.
With the help of a specially made walker and some dedicated volunteers, an ADI resident pounds the pavement at the 800-meter Communities Track at the 2021 Jerusalem Marathon on Oct. 29. (Courtesy of ADI)
Shlomit Grayevsky, director of ADI Jerusalem, said that the marathon was canceled the past two years due to the pandemic.
“It was thrilling to be back at the Jerusalem Marathon after all this time and so moving to see that the same pandemic that kept us all apart is now bringing us back together,” she said. “Our ADI residents have always felt welcome at this wonderful event, but it’s clear that the last two years have made people more caring and compassionate than ever before.”
Three men who ram-raided a Co-op store in Kent, England, and made off with cigarettes and alcohol valued around $2,000 have been charged with burglary and sentenced to prison.
“At around 3 a.m. on June 21, Clint Londors drove to Grain High Street in his silver BMW X5, accompanied by Bradley Pearce and Jamie Turner,” Kent police said.
“Once there, Londors reversed his car into the front of the Co-op twice, causing considerable damage to the entrance,” police said. “Pearce and Turner got out of the vehicle carrying bags and entered the shop where they stole large quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, razor blades and football cards. Londors joined them to take crates of lager and over four minutes the trio stole items valued at approximately £1,500 ($2,000).”
The trio was then involved in a high-speed chase.
“Londors drove his accomplices from the scene and headed towards Rochester. Officers on patrol in Grain Road, who had been alerted to an alarm sounding at the Co-op, saw the BMW speed past them.
“Suspecting the occupants were responsible for the alarm, they gave chase and activated their blue lights.
“The pursuit continued across the Isle of Grain with Londors attempting to reverse into the police vehicle several times, making contact on one occasion. At one point, Londors drove the wrong way along a dual carriageway causing approaching vehicles to swerve out of the way to avoid a collision,” police said.
The police lost track of the BMW near Frinsbury, so search teams and a police helicopter were sent to the scene
Clint Londors (Kent Police/Zenger)
Police found Turner hiding in the woods after around half an hour.
“Officers had found a number of the stolen items as they made their way towards him and, when he was searched, cigarettes and razor blades were discovered hidden in his clothing,” police said.
“A short while later the BMW was located unattended on a footpath near Four Elms Hill. It had suffered damage from driving through a hedgerow and contained much of the stolen property. The police helicopter then detected movement next to a nearby treeline and patrols attended the location and arrested Pearce.
“Inquiries were made into the ownership of the BMW and Londors was detained on June 29. CCTV from the Co-op along with other evidence confirmed the arrested men to be the offenders, and they were all charged with burglary. Londors was also charged with dangerous driving,” police said.
Pearce was also charged with robbing bridal accessories from a shop on Rochester High Street on June 17.
Bradley Pearce (Kent Police/Zenger)
Londors, was sentenced on Oct. 15 to three years and eight months in prison for the Co-op robbery. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and six months and will be required to take an extended test.
Turner, who was on probation at the time of the robbery, was sentenced on Oct. 15 to three years and four months.
On Nov. 1, Pearce was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. This included a concurrent sentence of three months for the Rochester High Street robbery.
Crime Squad investigating officer Rebecca Howlett said: “The damage caused by these criminals caused the shop to close for three days while repairs costing GBP 35,000 ($47,230) were completed.
“The only post office in the area was situated inside the premises and the closure caused considerable inconvenience to local residents, particularly the elderly and those unable to travel.
“The manner of the driving as they sought to avoid arrest was reckless in the extreme and these men thoroughly deserve some time in prison.”
A Florida couple whose 2-year-old daughter died after ingesting fentanyl are facing charges of aggravated manslaughter related to the child’s death.
Joseph Arthur Tierney, 36, and Jalynn Nichole Davis, 36, told detectives that their daughter, Miya, “had been asleep in a bed” and “that they left her alone in the bedroom for 30 minutes, and upon their return they found her unresponsive, at which time they called 911,” according to a report by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to the home in Umatilla “in reference to a 2-year-old female who was unresponsive,” the sheriff’s office said. “Upon arrival, deputies and paramedics administered CPR to the victim, Miya Tierney. Miya was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased.”
Autopsy results released in August determined Miya’s cause of death to be “fentanyl toxicity.”
Miya’s stomach contents tested positive for fentanyl.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detective John Lightle, who was investigating the case, “revealed that Davis sold fentanyl and that Tierney was an active user of fentanyl. Based upon the investigation, probable cause was developed that Davis and Tierney were criminally responsible for Miya’s death based upon their having brought her to a known drug location and by failing to protect her from the fentanyl present at the location.”
Joseph Arthur Tierney (Marion County Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States,” the institute says on its website.
At the time of Tierney’s arrest, he was already in the Marion County Jail on charges of tampering with a witness in a capital felony proceeding and aggravated assault, the sheriff’s office said. He is being held without bond
Davis is being held without bond in the Lake County Jail for separate alleged offenses committed in Lake County, including murder (for a death caused by her unlawful distribution of fentanyl), possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia, the sheriff’s office said.
When she is returned to Marion County, she will be served with the newly issued warrant for aggravated manslaughter, the sheriff’s office said.
“For years, law enforcement has been battling the opioid epidemic here in Marion County, throughout the United States, and at our country’s borders.,” said Sheriff Billy Woods. “The senseless death of this innocent child is the ultimate tragedy, and it should serve as a reminder of why we must continue our fight to keep opiates out of our communities.
“Everybody should know that if you or somebody you know uses drugs and wants to get clean, our community has resources available to help you. But let me be perfectly clear, if you are using drugs or selling drugs, and if somebody overdoses or dies as a result, me and my deputies will do everything we can to hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
NASA has announced that next year it will deliver an ice-mining experiment to the moon in the first attempt to find and extract resources from the lunar surface.
The development of space-mining technology will be critical in establishing a long-term presence in deep space, NASA said, detailing the mission in a Nov. 3 statement.
The robotic lander with the connected ice-mining technology will spend 10 days near the Shackleton crater. The location was chosen after months of analysis by spacecraft now circling the moon. The area receives a lot of sunlight, which will help power the robot. It also has a line of sight with Earth, which means the machine will be in constant communication with its operators.
A data visualization showing the area near the lunar South Pole on a ridge not far from Shackleton, the large crater on the right, that was selected as the landing site for Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander. (NASA/Zenger)
The mission is designed to demonstrate three technologies: “the NASA-funded Polar Resources Ice-Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) — which consists of a drill paired with a mass spectrometer — a 4G/LTE communications network developed by Nokia of America Corporation, and Micro-Nova, a deployable hopper robot developed by Intuitive Machines,” the statement said.
“PRIME-1 is permanently attached to Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, and finding a landing location where we might discover ice within three feet of the surface was challenging.” said Jackie Quinn, PRIME-1 project manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“While there is plenty of sunlight to power the payloads, the surface gets too warm to sustain ice within reach of the PRIME-1 drill. We needed to find a ‘goldilocks’ site that gets just enough sunlight to meet mission requirements while also being a safe place to land with good Earth communications.”
After it lands, the PRIME-1 drill, dubbed TRIDENT (The Regolith Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain), will try to drill to a depth of three feet into the lunar surface.
It will then remove lunar soil, known as “regolith,” and analyze it for the presence of water.
While the mining operation is underway, PRIME-1’s second instrument, the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations (MSolo), will study the volatile gases given off by the regolith brought to the surface by TRIDENT.
By drilling on the surface of the moon, NASA is hoping to gain valuable experience in devising long-term deep-space operations, which will depend on astronauts being able to mine ice and other elements on distant planets.
Astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. poses for a photograph beside the deployed flag of the United States. The lunar module is on the left. The first landing on the moon occurred at 4:17 p.m. July 20, 1969 as Lunar Module “Eagle” touched down gently on the Sea Of Tranquility. (NASA/Getty Images)
While PRIME-1 investigates the material below the moon’s surface, Nokia will test its lunar 4G/LTE network.
Nokia’s network will be tested by a diminutive rover made by Lunar Outpost, which will venture across the lunar surface, putting over a mile between itself and the Nova-C lander before testing the signal. It will communicate with the lander, which will then communicate the data to Earth.
Nokia’s network will be developed so that machines on the surface of the moon can communicate with each other over long distances. The network is expected to enable high-definition video streaming between astronauts, base stations and vehicles.
While Nokia is testing its network and PRIME-1 is mining for ice, Micro-Nova will be sent into a close-by crater to take pictures and gather scientific data. It will then send the data back to the Nova-C.
Micro-Nova, developed by Intuitive Machines, can carry a two-pound payload, allowing it to survey the lunar surface and potentially carry small scientific instruments on future exploration missions.
“These early technology demonstrations employ innovative partnerships to provide valuable information about operating on and exploring the lunar surface,” Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said.
“The data will inform the designs for future in-situ resource utilization, mobility, communication, power and dust mitigation capabilities.”
Canelo Alvarez was ringside at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, in June for a “Tribute To The Kings” exhibition featuring Héctor “Machito” Camacho Jr. and three-division champion Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
Chavez Sr. summoned Alvarez after the event, pulling him close, offering praise and appearing to pass the torch.
“Julio Sr. asked Canelo to step up to the apron at the end of the exhibition as I was getting ready for the postfight interview,” recalled Claudia Trejos, a sports anchor, journalist and reporter for DAZN and Telemundo Deportes among other affiliations. “Julio Sr. grabbed Canelo by the head and told him, ‘My time has passed, but yours is NOW! My history and legacy are already written. You are now the greatest Mexican fighter.’”
Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) is predicting an eighth-round knockout and his third straight stoppage against IBF 168-pound champion Caleb Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) during their unification bout on Nov. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
By adding Plant’s IBF crown to his WBA/WBC/WBO versions with his fourth fight in 11 months and a victory over an undefeated rival for the eighth time in his career, Alvarez would become the first undisputed super middleweight champion from Mexico.
“Being the undisputed champion is huge for my legacy. Now we’re one fight away,” said Alvarez, a unified champion at 154, 160 and 168 pounds. “Not only would it be an honor to be the first Latin American fighter to do it, but there’s only a select club of fighters who have achieved this [in other weight divisions].”
Alvarez would become the sixth fighter to reach the undisputed plateau during the four-belt era, joining Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight), middleweights Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor and junior welterweights Terence Crawford and Josh Taylor.
“Mexican champions are traditionally flyweights, bantamweights, featherweights, super lightweights. Chavez couldn’t win at welterweight,” said Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the Mexico based World Boxing Council.
“But Canelo being a champion at super welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight is as unique feat of boxing greatness. Canelo is as great as any Mexican champion you can mention, and he is still building his legacy.”
Three-division champion Abner Mares already rates Alvarez ahead of Chavez, who was 89-0-1 before losing his first bout and retired with a record of 107-6-2 (86 KOs).
Mares also believes Alvarez has surpassed fabled Mexican icons including three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera, four-division title winners Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, two-division champ Ruben Olivares, and long-reigning champions Ricardo Lopez, Salvador Sanchez and Carlos Zarate.
Zarate put together a run of 55 consecutive victories and two streaks of 20 or more consecutive knockouts. Olivares was a three-timer with a record for most victories in unified title bouts in bantamweight history. Sanchez was once-beaten when he died in a car accident in August 1982, and Lopez retired undefeated.
Canelo Alvarez (right) became a three-division champion following a four-knockdown, third-round TKO of WBA “regular” super middleweight champion Rocky Fielding in December 2018. (Courtesy of Ed Mulholland)
“Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was a three-division world champion. I’m a big fan of Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and [Ricardo] El Finito Lopez,” said Mares, who is 0-2 against four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz.
“Canelo’s legendary as a four-division world champion who is known worldwide. Canelo has done a lot more than any of the ones I just mentioned,” Mares added. “He’s surpassed them all in name and actions, and he’s looking to conquer a lot more.”
Ray Flores also puts Alvarez on the same level as Chavez Sr.
“I never thought that anyone could mean what Chavez has meant to Mexican fight fans,” said Flores, boxing analyst for Premier Boxing Champions, TGB Promotions and Triller.
“It’s already unreal when you look at Canelo’s resume and consider the guys that he’s beaten, but Canelo is so young and has a desire to really claim his legacy by defeating Plant to become undisputed.”
The resume of four-division title winner Canelo Alvarez (right) includes decision victories over former champions Daniel Jacobs (left), Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, “Sugar ” Shane Mosley, Erislandy Lara, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Callum Smith. (Courtesy of Ed Mulholland)
As a 20-year-old, Alvarez earned his first crown and the WBC 154-pound championship by unanimous decision over Matthew Hatton in March 2011.
Alvarez’s second title in as many divisions came via unanimous decision over four-division champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in November 2015, and he was a three-division champion following a four-knockdown, third-round TKO of WBA “regular” 168-pound champion Rocky Fielding in December 2018.
“Canelo” is facing Plant nearly two years to the day after rising two weight classes in November 2019, supplanting WBO 175-pound titleholder Sergey Kovalev via spectacular 11th-round knockout to become a four-division champion.
But ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna isn’t sure Alvarez has attained Chavez Sr. ‘s status.
“Surpassing the feeling of pride and special connection that Julio Cesar Chavez had with Mexican fight fans is difficult,” Osuna said. “It’s like having that rich uncle that buys you cool things, but liking the one who played catch with you in the park more. Shiny things are great, but it’s that ‘feeling’ that you just can’t buy.”
Four-division champion Canelo Alvarez (right) won a majority decision that dethroned then-undefeated WBA/WBC super middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin in a September 2018 unification rematch of their draw in September 2017. (Sumio Yamada/WBC Images)
Alvarez made six title defenses at 154 pounds before falling by majority decision to five-division champion Floyd Mayweather in September 2013. The then-23-year-old Alvarez was dethroned as WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion.
Canelo is 14-0-1 (8 KOs) since the Mayweather fight. His final defense of his initial crown was a unanimous decision unification victory over southpaw Austin Trout in April 2013, which added Trout’s WBA crown to his WBC title.
Alvarez owns unanimous decisions over three-division champion and two-time Oscar De La Hoya-conqueror “Sugar” Shane Mosley (May 2012), former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (May 2017), ex-titleholders Daniel Jacobs (May 2019) and Callum Smith (December 2020), and a split-decision over two-division champion Erislandy Lara (July 2014).
Alvarez’s stoppages of former titleholders include a sixth-round knockout of Carlos Baldomir (September 2010), a one-knockdown, fifth-round TKO of Kermit Cintron (November 2011), a 10th-round TKO of Alfredo Angulo (March 2014), a sixth-round knockout of Amir Khan (May 2016) and a three-knockdown, ninth-round KO of Liam Smith (September 2016).
In May, Alvarez’s eighth-round stoppage of Billy Joe Saunders added the previously unbeaten southpaw’s WBO title to his WBA/WBC crowns.
“Canelo has mastered technique, power, precision and great strategy,” Sulaiman said. “Canelo can still bring the pressure and go toe to toe, but he also has a great combination of skills never before seen in a Mexican fighter.”
Barrera won two of three bouts against Morales, and Marquez was 1-2-1 against eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, stopping him once in the sixth round. But Alvarez’s closest thing to a rivalry was his majority decision unification victory over then-undefeated WBA/WBC titleholder Gennady Golovkin (September 2018) in a rematch of their draw in September 2017.
“[Alvarez] has denied himself the opportunity to settle the [Golovkin] debate with a definitive win, which I think could come if they fought for a third time,” Osuna said. “At age 31, Canelo has many chapters yet to write in his already illustrious story.”
However, Mares challenged Osuna’s assertion.
“Floyd Mayweather is a legend who made Canelo look like the kid that he was,” Mares said. “But since then, Canelo’s beaten champions who are Hall of Famers like Golovkin, Kovalev, Cotto, Mosley, Lara and Jacobs. Canelo’s already a legend.”
Trainer Abel Sanchez said Alvarez hungers for legacy fights against undefeated WBC 160-pound champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs), WBO counterpart Demetrius Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs), WBA 175-pound titleholder Dimitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) and IBF/WBC counterpart Artur Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs).
“Canelo’s willing to face guys who will fight for a reasonable price. He’ll fight anybody whereas other guys won’t,” said Sanchez, Golovkin’s corner man against Alvarez. “Canelo is like the Sugar Ray Leonards, Marvin Haglers, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and Wilfredo Benitezes in the 1980s who were always fighting each other.”
From 2010 to 2020, historian Cliff Rold of boxingscene.com ranked Alvarez ahead of Mayweather as Fighter of the Decade “based on the success and higher activity over the course of the decade.
“When Canelo fought Golovkin, he had to take Golovkin’s right hand, and every single one of those right hands in a gut check,” Rold said. “Canelo had to figure out Golovkin and come up with a completely different strategy for their second fight, and if that’s not a gut check, then I don’t know what is.”
Canelo Alvarez (standing right) became a four-division champion in November 2019 via spectacular 11th-round knockout over then-WBO 175-pound titleholder Sergey Kovalev, rising two weight classes from 160 pounds to do so. (Claudia Trejos/DAZN)
Two-time 168-pound champion David Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) is itching for an all-Mexican clash with Alvarez should he get beyond Kyrone Davis (16-2-1, 6 KOs) on Nov. 13.
“With me and Canelo fighting so close in proximity to each other, that’s the fight to be made,” said Benavidez, 24. “There is no doubt Canelo’s fighting everybody, and he’s the man right now, but he’ll get a lot of backlash from Mexican fans if he doesn’t fight me.”
Flores wants to see Alvarez-Benavidez if the former gets beyond Plant.
“Caleb Plant won’t be an easy fight for Canelo, but Benavidez is a pure savage who loves violence,” Flores said. “If Canelo gets past Plant, Benavidez versus Canelo would be the fight to make, enhancing the legacy of both as Mexican warriors.”
Charlo would rise to face Alvarez, according to trainer Ronnie Shields.
“Jermall can still make 160, but the reason for moving up would be to fight the biggest guy out there, and right now, that’s Canelo. That’s the reason we’re going to Las Vegas this weekend,” Shields said of Charlo, a two-division champion.
“Jermall wants to fight whoever wins. Canelo or Caleb Plant. Jermall was Canelo’s mandatory at 160, but Canelo gave up the title and fought somebody else for it. Canelo refused to fight Jermall at 160 and moved up.”
Osuna said Alvarez needs a definitive gut-check challenge during which he snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.
“Despite all of the names on Saul’s resume, some at the latter stages of their career, Canelo lacks a signature drag-them-out moment in any of his fights because he tends to make them look too easy,” Osuna said.
“Canelo’s talent and power are on par with that of any Mexican fighter that came before him. His discipline and work ethic set him apart as exemplary. Already the current ‘face of boxing,’ Canelo could eventually be recognized as the greatest Mexican fighter of all time.”
Trejos already believes she witnessed Chavez Sr. ‘s passing the baton to Alvarez.
“‘You are still writing your story,’’ Trejos heard Chavez Sr. tell Alvarez. “‘It will be bigger than mine. You are the face of boxing.’” Canelo Alvarez’s Top 15 victories
A cat believed to have died after a raging fire that destroyed three properties in Queensland, Australia, was pulled from the rubble by firefighters.
The emotional video footage shows a fireman with heavy cutting gear removing a big block of concrete on Nov. 3. The scared cat was trapped in a hole beneath the slab, amid the rubble.
The firefighters then managed to extract the feline and place it into a blanket, where it was safely reunited with its tearful owners.
The survival of the cat was all the more remarkable given the dangerous conditions created by the blaze. During the inferno, a warning was issued regarding the toxic smoke being released. That was due to lead paint, which was widely used on the old-fashioned Queensland properties.
People in the neighborhood were even warned to stay inside after the fire to avoid smoke inhalation. There had been careful monitoring of the atmosphere before it was deemed safe for the firefighters to re-enter the building, where they discovered and rescued the cat.
Footage of the rescue was posted online by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services team, which said: “Get the tissues ready. This is the moment our firies reunited a cat with its owners following an inferno that destroyed three properties in Brisbane on Sunday. The kitty, which had been missing since the blaze, was trapped in a hole beneath concrete. We’re not crying, you are!”
Following the blaze, police had declared the location a crime scene and described the inferno that destroyed one property and badly damage two others as suspicious.
The fire department has appealed for witnesses to come forward. It also confirmed that no one was hurt in the incident.
In a statement issued following the fire, authorities said: “Anyone who observed any suspicious behavior in the area prior to the fire is encouraged to come forward and speak with police.”
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Superintendent Craig Stolte was one of the firemen on the scene battling the blaze. He said that one of the properties had been completely destroyed, while the second property was partially damaged. In addition, a dance studio was also partially burned.
The firefighters working with the police confirmed that at present, there is no clear cause for the blaze. The search for clues as to how the fire began is complicated by the fact that the main building has been completely destroyed.
Rapping is a new skill Nadine Velazquez is honing on the ABC series “Queens.”
“Queens” tells the story of the four members of a defunct 1990s hip-hop female band reuniting in their 40s to recapture their former fame and swagger.
Velazquez is relying on her performing chops to nail her character.
“I’d never rapped ever before the show, never, not once,” said Velazquez, who plays Valeria, a rapper who also goes by the name of “Butter Pecan.” “And now I love finding and listening to the music and studying rappers, and just hearing things that I didn’t hear before. So, I rely on my ability to act because I’m not really pulling from any place other than that.”
The Latina artist joins Eve, Naturi Naughton, and Brandy in a series directed and co-executive produced by Tim Story. His film credits include the comedy/drama “Barbershop” and the superhero “Fantastic Four” franchise. Story has also directed music videos for artists like NSYNC, Tyrese Gibson, and Sonique.
Zahir McGhee (“Scandal”) is the creator and co-executive producer of the series, which features original music performed by the stars at the direction of executive music producer Swizz Beatz.
Velazquez is particularly in awe of her co-star Brandy, the actress/singer who plays Brianna, “Professor Sex.” Brandy has had a fantastic music career, starting with her eponymous album in 1994. Years later, she had her breakout starring role in the 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Cinderella.”
“Brandy has moved from Princess to being a queen on this show,” said Velazquez. “She is very powerful, badass, raw, and beautiful. In fact, all three of the women are just so excellent, and it becomes very apparent to me how much I am learning when we are in music and dance rehearsals.”
When asked about her experience with the choreography, Velazquez laughs. “It’s been like having two left feet,” she said. “But I’m getting it. I’m getting it more and more. And I can’t even describe the growth from the pilot to where I’m at right now, just in terms of my comfort and ability to just, like, be free. But you’ll see.”
Born in Chicago, of Puerto Rican descent, Velazquez played Catalina Aruca on “My Name Is Earl” and Sofia Ruxin on “The League.” She is also a model and has appeared in films such as “War,” “Flight,” and “Snitch.” She was a cast member on the TV series “Major Crimes.”
For Velazquez, “Queens” does not deal with the conflict of female friendship vs. rivalry. “It really is strong on both,” she said. “And that’s what makes it so special. The characters had their disagreements in the past, but now they’ve come together to hold each other up.”
Brandy chimes in, “It’s definitely more towards the friendship aspect of it. I think our show is about sisterhood and family. There’s always going to be a hierarchy … but we do want to emphasize the friendship aspect more rather than focusing on rivalry or bickering or backstabbing.”
Co-written by McGhee, the series marries a passion for the female hip-hop legends of the 1990s with an in-depth exploration of womanhood.
“What makes this [series] special and [this moment] the right time for it is, number one, we have a lot of the real people who are doing hip hop now, which gives it a certain level of authenticity,” McGhee said. “And we have the opportunity to tell the breadth of stories about the experience of women of color. They are varied; they’re great. And they are beautiful. I think that the time for this show was yesterday, and the time is also today, and the time is even for tomorrow.”
“Audiences are going to get a treat when they see ‘Butter Pecan’ perform. This girl can do it,” said Brandy.
Ecuador’s president has announced the expansion of the marine protection area around the Galápagos Islands by 23,000 square miles.
President Guillermo Lasso also announced the establishment of a protected marine corridor from the islands to Costa Rica, which had previously been exploited by shark-finning fleets.
U.S. nonprofit Galápagos Conservancy said it was “thrilled” with the announcement of the creation of a protected area that is 2.5 times the size of the state of Maryland and “covers more water surface area than Lake Michigan.”
The protected area’s total size is currently 74,062 square miles (47.4 million acres).
An illustration of the protected corridor between Galápagos and Costa Rica, where shark-finning fleets were once active. (MigraMar, Alex Hearn/Zenger)
The Galápagos archipelago is where English naturalist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution, partly because of the countless unique species that inhabit it.
The endemic species on the islands such as the critically endangered Galapagos pink land iguana (Conolophus marthae) and the legendary Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis) are under constant threat from invasive species, hunting and climate change.
In October, Galápagos Conservancy discovered the decomposing remains of 15 Galápagos giant tortoises, which they believe were victims of illegal poaching.
A green sea turtle surrounded by steel pompano. Conservationists believe the expansion of the protected marine area around the Galápagos Islands will help the endangered species living there to thrive. (Matthew Meier/Zenger)
The number of Galápagos pink land iguanas left on the island has plummeted to just a few hundred, as hunting and the introduction of rodents have decimated the population.
“The declaration also creates an essential migratory corridor that bridges the gap between the protected waters of the Galápagos Marine Reserve and Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park,” said experts at Galápagos Conservancy.
“This previously unprotected band of water in the Eastern Pacific, known as the Galápagos-Cocos Swimway, is an underwater superhighway for an array of threatened and endangered migratory species like whale sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, manta rays, sea turtles [and] tuna.”
Golden rays swim in a big shoal on the eastern Galápagos Islands. (Bert Sirkin/Zenger)
By protecting the corridor between the two UNESCO World Heritage marine sites, which has been a hotspot for commercial fishing and even shark finning, marine life can now be protected, according to the nonprofit.
“We expect that populations of these threatened and endangered species will soon begin to rebound, and we hope that this agreement between Ecuador and Costa Rica will serve as a model for multinational collaboration in marine conservation going forward,” the organization said.
“Although conservation work is never done,” sources at the nonprofit said, “today, we can celebrate a major victory for Galápagos and for our planet.”
Police in Florida are trying to track a family who managed to steal a pricey chihuahua puppy from a pet store.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office posted a video of the theft on Twitter on Nov. 1 with the message: “Who does this? Seriously… who?
“These people stole Rosie a 12 week old female chihuahua from Puppy Buddy Pet Store in Boca Raton. See if you can spot how one distracted while the other took the puppy. If you know who these people are, please let us know. We need Rosie back,” the sheriff’s office said.
The video, captured on the store’s CCTV, was handed over to police to help track down the thieves.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the theft happened in the late afternoon of Oct. 30.
Police were called after staff reported that the chihuahua puppy was stolen after a family of four entered the store and distracted staff. One of the women reached into the puppy pen and grabbed Rosie, which she then put inside her purse.
The family, including the woman with the puppy in her purse, then walked out of the store without paying for the dog, which was said to be worth $7,000.
Purebred chihuahua puppies and those from a champion bloodline from breeders listed on the nonprofit American Kennel Club website range from $2,000 to $2,950. The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States.
The video appears to show another woman in the store deliberately positioning herself to conceal the theft, while a man in a yellow shirt and a boy, also part of the group, stand aside. Police suspect that the boy may be the child of the woman seen in a black blouse in the video.
Police later determined that the suspects had arrived in a maroon 2021-2022 Chrysler Pacifica.
Police have asked anyone who might be able to help identify the thieves or knows the whereabouts of the puppy to call Crime Stoppers.
“The Chihuahua is a tiny dog with a huge personality. A national symbol of Mexico, these alert and amusing “purse dogs” stand among the oldest breeds of the Americas, with a lineage going back to the ancient kingdoms of pre-Columbian times,” according to the website of the American Kennel Club.
“Compact and confident, Chihuahuas are ideal city pets. They are too small for roughhousing with kids, and special care must be taken in cold weather, but Chihuahuas are adaptable as long as they get lots of quality time in their preferred lap,” the American Kennel Club says.
