Latest news with #WorcesterTelegram&Gazette
USA Today
16 hours ago
- General
- USA Today
'This is American history:' See photos around the US as the nation celebrates Juneteenth
'This is American history:' See photos around the US as the nation celebrates Juneteenth It's the day the promise of freedom finally rang true for more Americans: Juneteenth was celebrated with joy and resolve throughout the United States in 2025. Show Caption Hide Caption Black coastal town celebrate history while fighting to preserve it Officials in Eagle Harbor, a Black coastal town in Maryland, reflects on its rich history and legacy ahead of Juneteenth. Across the United States on Thursday, June 19, Americans celebrated the federal holiday commemorating the day the last group of enslaved African Americans were informed they were free. The day, dubbed Juneteenth, reflects on a moment when the promise of freedom first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence became a reality for more of its citizens. In 2021, then-President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. It officially named the holiday that has been long celebrated by Black people and beyond with dancing, parades, ceremonies and historical reenactments. The holiday marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – that Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union Army troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state. This year's celebrations took place across the country, with the lessons of history as important as ever. 'This is American history': From Galveston to Concord, 5 communities keep Juneteenth stories alive Juneteenth in Illinois The city of Peoria, in Central Illinois, celebrated the day with a parade, poetry and a picnic. An area festival also featured food, musical performances, a bake-off and more. More than 1,000 miles north east, in Worchester, Massachusetts, the YWCA hosted Juneteenth celebrations with a flag raising ceremony and a vow to keep tradition and the history alive, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. "We are not here to celebrate," said Sha-Asia Medina, a volunteer with the area's Black Heritage Committee. "This is something to acknowledge and honor our ancestors, but the attack on our history and culture continues. This Juneteenth is important, especially given the time that we're in." Here are other photos of Americans celebrating the relatively new holiday across the United States in cities including Atlanta, New York and Savannah.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Woman dies after falling from cliff while hiking at Massachusetts state park
Woman dies after falling from cliff while hiking at Massachusetts state park A Massachusetts woman died while hiking with three of her children after she fell down a cliff on April 23, police said. According to a press release from the Sutton Police Department, the incident happened at the Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton, Massachusetts, some 40 miles southwest of Boston. Police said they were called to the area after receiving reports of a woman who fell down a cliff around 50 to 75 feet high. "There were multiple medical professionals in the area hiking the Chasm at the same time, and were able to provide medical attention right away. However, she had succumbed to the injuries sustained during the fall, and was pronounced deceased a short time later," police said. According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, part of the USA TODAY Network, the woman was identified by authorities as 49-year-old Carolyn Sanger. In the press release, police said they believe the fall to be accidental but have an active investigation into Sanger's death. "Lastly, the Sutton Police Department would like to extend our condolences to the family during this very difficult time," police said. Who was Carolyn Sanger? Sanger, a mother of four, lived in Topsfield, Massachusetts, around 20 miles north of Boston. According to NBC 10 Boston, she was the owner of a massage, yoga and Reiki studio. Members of the community who knew Sanger remembered her as a positive influence in the area. "She could show up in a room, light up a room and give you a hug and you felt that warmth, she was a safe place, you could talk to her about anything," Jamie Belsito told the NBC 10 Boston. Sanger was also a regular at Zumi's Espresso, which was right next to her wellness center. Umesh Bhiji, the coffee shop's owner, said Sanger was a wonderful person. "She was wonderful, very kind-hearted, at Zumi's all the time with her kids, friends, for hours of talk," Bhiji told NBC 10 Boston. In a GoFundMe set up following Sanger's death, she was remembered as a caring, wonderful mother. "She was a friend to all and her smile and kind spirit will be greatly missed. She passed too early- but she left the earth doing what she loved, with the ones she loved," the fundraiser's description reads. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kidnapping, conspiracy charges are dropped against Mass. college students in ‘Catch a Predator' fad
A judge has dismissed conspiracy and kidnapping charges against five Massachusetts college students who were accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a 'Catch a Predator' trend on social media. The Assumption University students, all teenagers, were arraigned in January and entered not guilty pleas. Since then, their lawyers had filed motions seeking to dismiss the charges, saying authorities lacked probable cause to believe they committed crimes. Following a hearing last month, a Worcester District Court judge on Tuesday dismissed the conspiracy and kidnapping charges against Kelsy Brainard, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau and Joaquin Smith. It wasn't immediately known if charges were still pending against a sixth student, whose case was being handled in juvenile court. Police say Brainard's Tinder account was used to lure the man to the private, Roman Catholic university in Worcester last October. Brainard still faces a charge of witness intimidation stemming from the encounter. Carroll also still faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Messages seeking comment were emailed Wednesday to the Worcester County District Attorney's office and to the university, where campus police had conducted an investigation. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that defense lawyers entered into the court record a video of a university police officer interrogating one of the students as part of their argument to dismiss the charges. They said the officer presented an incomplete and distorted picture of the evidence. A report filed by campus police said a 22-year-old active-duty military service member connected with a woman on Tinder and was invited inside a basement lounge. Within minutes, 'a group of people came out of nowhere and started calling him a pedophile,' accusing him of wanting sex with 17-year-old girls, according to the report. The man told police that he broke free and was chased by at least 25 people to his car, where he was punched in the head and his car door was slammed on him before he managed to flee. Campus surveillance video shows a large group of students, including the woman, 'all with their cellphones out in what seems to be a recording of the whole episode,' the police statement said. They are seen 'laughing and high fiving with each other' in what appeared to be 'a deliberately staged event,' and there was no evidence to indicate the man was seeking sexual relations with girls, the police report said. Randall had told officers they were inspired by the 'catch a predator' trend, which he said 'is big on TikTok.' He said their group shared ideas of what to tell the man through the Tinder app to lure him to campus, and then spread word through a dormitory chat group that a 'predator' was in the building, the report said. After the assault, Brainard reported the man to police as a sexual predator, police said, which they determined to be false. Boston 25′s Bob Ward spoke to the victim's father after the incident, who said his son lives out of state. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
