Chicago woman gets nine-year sentence for stealing $1.5m in chicken wings

An Illinois school worker will spend the next nine years in prison after she stole 11,000 cases of chicken wings worth $1.5 million that were meant for students from July 2020 to February 2022, prosecutors said.

Vera Liddell used her position as the food service director at Harvey School District 152 to carry out the unappetizing crime that was only unearthed after the district realized the school system blew past its budget, prosecutors reportedly said.

Liddell, 68, started the scheme in July 2020 and didn’t stop until February 2022, the Cook County State Attorney’s Office said, according to ABC 7 Chicago. The theft was uncovered during a routine audit when it was found the annual food service costs were $300,000 over budget only halfway through the school year, WGN said.

Bodies of all 62 victims of stunning Brazil plane crash recovered

At least eight cancer doctors who were heading to an oncology conference were among dozens 62 people k*lled in a plane crash in Brazil’s Vinhedo on Friday, an official has said, according to Independent.

An official from the Regional Medical Council said he was able to confirm the d*aths of the eight doctors.

“These doctors were going to an oncology conference. These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others,” said Eduardo Baptist

He added that a total of 15 doctors were supposed to be travelling to the conference on the flight, but seven of them had taken an earlier service.

The bodies of all 62 victims of a stunning plane crash in Brazil in which the aircraft plummeted to the ground in a residential neighborhood have been recovered, government officials said Sunday.

Investigators finished a search for victims at the site of the crash outside Sao Paulo on Saturday night, according to the state government in Sao Paulo, located in southeast Brazil. The cause of the Friday crash is still unknown.

Dozens of families of victims descended on a medical facility Sunday to help identify their loved ones.

The remains of all 62 victims − 34 males and 28 females − were taken to a central police medical facility after responders completed their recovery efforts at 10:45 p.m. Saturday, about 33 hours after the crash, the Sao Paulo state government said in a Sunday statement. At least 31 bodies had been recovered as of Saturday afternoon.

Baltimore City DPW employee dies on job following ‘medical situation’

A solid waste worker died while on the job Friday afternoon in northeast Baltimore, according to a joint statement released by Mayor Brandon Scott and acting DPW director Khalil Zaied.

Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore City Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Solid Waste employee, experienced a medical situation that required immediate assistance while he was in a truck with fellow coworkers, the statement said.

Silver was transported to a hospital where he later died.

“Our hearts are first and foremost with him [Silver II], his family and loved ones and his DPW colleagues as we grapple with this loss,” Scott and Zaied said.

Officials are working with the crew and medical professionals who tended to Silver to learn of what occurred.

No further information was immediately released.

US men’s basketball team rolls past Serbia 110-84 in opening game at the Paris Olympics

LeBron James was feeling some nervousness, some butterflies, maybe even a bit of angst as he listened to the national anthem play before his first Olympic game in 12 years. It all went away quickly. James and Kevin Durant — the two most-experienced Olympians on this American team — opened the Paris Games and a U.S. bid for a fifth consecutive gold medal with a near-perfect show. Durant made his first eight shots and scored 23 points, James added 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and the U.S. rolled to a 110-84 win over Serbia in the Olympic opener for both teams on Sunday.

“That’s the best game we’ve played so far,” James said after the Americans improved to 6-0 this summer, 1-0 in the tournament that matters.

James and Durant were a combined 18 for 22 from the field — 8 of 9 for Durant, 9 of 13 for James — as the U.S. had no trouble with the reigning World Cup silver medalists from last summer in the Philippines. Jrue Holiday scored 15, Devin Booker had 12 and Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry each added 11 for the U.S.

Victim identified after shooting at the Mall in Columbia leaves one person dead

ONFIRE-TV.com – Howard County police have identified the victim in yesterday’s fatal shooting inside the Columbia mall as Angelo Little, 17, of Columbia. Police are offering a reward of up to $5,000. Officials report you may remain anonymous.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police at 410-313-STOP or [email protected].

According to authorities, officers worked to evacuate mall attendees in an orderly fashion and the mall was fully cleared by 9:00 p.m.

A man is dead after a shooting inside The Mall in Columbia on Saturday.

According to Howard County police, there was an altercation at the mall’s food court around 6:10 p.m. followed by at least one gunshot. The man died at the scene, and no other injuries were reported.

“We are still working to confirm his identity; however, based on the preliminary information and evidence of the officers and detectives have located, we do believe that this victim was targeted,” Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said. “This is a situation where we believe that there was an altercation between two people. This was not something that our investigators believe was a random incident or an accident. This is something we believe was intentional.”

Police said there were no signs of an active shooter.

“There is no ongoing danger,” Llewellyn said. “We believe that the people involved in this incident left the mall property, and we are in the process of actively escorting people out of the mall to make sure they are safe and for their own personal security.”

At 8:45 p.m., police were still evacuating shoppers who sheltered in place in the mall for hours while investigators spoke with witnesses.

“I was inside American Eagle and I heard a shot. I thought it was above me, but I realized that it was actually right next to me, and then, I saw people running, and that’s when I just started running with the crowd,” Jonathan Kim, a shopper, told 11 News. “It’s tragic.”

“Our first thought was, ‘No way this happens in Columbia. This isn’t the kind of area where there would be like gunshots and stuff like that.’ So, we just thought we were overreacting,” Brandon Hall Delawder, a shopper, told 11 News. “I guess it just goes to show it can happen anywhere, doesn’t matter the area.”

Witnesses told 11 News they heard one shot and then saw panicked crowds running.

“We thought something just fell. It just sounded like a chair fell or something. It was just really loud,” Tara Little, a shopper, told 11 News. “It’s kind of crazy to think about.”

Businesses in the mall knew what to do after the shooting based on learnings from after an active shooter incident in 2014.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-313-STOP.

Deli meat sample from Maryland tests positive for listeria, health officials say

ONFIRE-TV.com – A sample of deli meat collected in Maryland tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, state health officials announced Friday. In a statement, the Maryland Department of Health said it issued a consumer advisory for Boar’s Head ready-to-eat liverwurst and other deli meat products due to possible Listeria contamination, saying consumers should not currently eat the products.

State health officials said further testing of the sample — an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store — is needed, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, to determine whether it’s linked to an outbreak investigation of Listeria monocytogenes infections reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The listeria outbreak was first reported last week. Since late May, 34 people were sickened across 13 states — including six in Maryland — with all but one hospitalized. Two people died — in Illinois and New Jersey.

Symptoms of Listeriosis may include fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. After exposure, symptoms usually appear within three days to 10 weeks, but most often within three weeks. Anyone who experiences symptoms are advised to immediately speak with a health care provider.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Six Marylanders have been identified with a known illness as of July 19, according to MDH.

Federal Hill residents frustrated by dirt bike activity despite crime reductions

Recent statistics shared by the Baltimore County Government reveal a promising yet contrasting trend in crime reduction across Charm City.

The data shows a 36% decline in the number of homicides and a 30% reduction in non-fatal shootings compared to the same time last year.

According to the report, the Baltimore County Police Department has cleared over 63 percent of homicide cases to date, which they say exceeds the national clearance rate, which averaged approximately 50 percent as of 2020.

Police Commissioner Worley credits these positive changes to various factors, including greater community cooperation and proactive efforts by law enforcement.

He also emphasizes that officers are increasingly patrolling on foot rather than from their patrol cars.

However, despite the reduction in violent crimes, some residents continue to face other challenges.

Brian, a 35-year-old resident of Federal Hill, expressed his frustration with the dirt bike activity in his neighborhood in an interview with WBAL Radio’s Chris Cichon.

In April 2024, the state’s attorney for Baltimore City and the Baltimore police commissioner announced the effort to stop illegal dirt bike activity.

According to officials, fines for parents, guardians, and businesses could be issued if they allow or have knowledge of minors dirt biking in Baltimore.

“As the weather warms up and illegal dirt bike usage increases, we need to explore every option to curb these activities,” said Police Commissioner Richard Worley.

“It is a nuisance, disruptive to our neighborhoods, and detrimental to our residents’ quality of life. To businesses who are knowingly aiding these dirt bike riders: You are adding fuel to the fire and will be cited.”

In April, BPD had seized 29 dirt bikes and ATVs. Now, officers can issue citations to service stations and other businesses that sell fuel to dirt bike riders. If violated, businesses could face:

  • First offense: $250
  • Second offense: $500
  • Third offense: $1,000

Parents or guardians of youth dirt biking could face:

  • First offense: Diversion for parenting classes or other resources
  • Second offense: $250
  • Third offense: $500
  • Subsequent offenses: $1,000

Riding or fueling a dirt bike in the city is against city ordinances, under Police Ordinance 40, “no service station nor any other person may sell, transfer, or dispense motor fuel for delivery into any dirt bike, unregistered motorcycle, or similar vehicle.”

Police investigating 2 fatal vehicle accidents in Baltimore

ONFIRE-TV.com – Police are investigating two fatal vehicle accidents that occurred in Baltimore Friday evening.

The first crash happened in Fells Point just before 5:30 p.m. that resulted in the death of a 44-year-old man.

Officers said they were advised that the bicyclist, a 44-year-old man, was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of South Caroline Street and Bank Street.

After being struck by a vehicle, the bicyclist was ejected off of the bike, hit another vehicle that was stopped and finally came to rest after hitting a third vehicle, police said.

The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officers said.

All three vehicles remained at the scene.

The second crash occurred just before 9 p.m. in southeast Baltimore that resulted in the death of a 28-year-old man.

Officers said they responded to a three-vehicle crash in the 3900 block of Pulaski Highway.

Upon arrival, police said they were advised that a vehicle traveling eastbound collided into two westbound cars.

The driver of the striking vehicle, a 28-year-old man, was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The occupants of the other two vehicles suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Anyone with information regarding either incident is asked to call police at 410-396-2606 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.

Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt against ex-President Trump

The director of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents . Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, faced growing calls to resign and several investigations into how a gunman was able to get so close to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in an email to staff obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”

Cheatle’s departure was unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13, and it comes at a critical juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised more investigations. An inspector general probe and an independent, bipartisan effort launched at President Joe Biden’s behest will keep the agency in the spotlight.

Cheatle’s resignation came a day after she appeared before a congressional committee and was berated for hours by both Democrats and Republicans for the security failures. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades, but she angered lawmakers by failing to answer specific questions about the investigation.

Biden said in a statement that “what happened that day can never happen again,” and he planned to appoint a new director soon, but he did not discuss a timeline.

Maryland State Fair to hold job fair

The Maryland State Fair will soon be returning to Baltimore County and if you are looking to be a part of its 13-day run, a job fair will be held.

Director of Sales Jeremy D’Angelo said many positions are available.

Applicants must be 18 or older and bring a passport or valid photo ID.

The job fair will be held on July 30 from 3-7 p.m.

The State Fair is back over three long weekends, starting Aug. 22, and will be held at its usual location in Timonium.