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Miss Florida preparing to take on crown for Miss America

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

The Florida Grand Opera held a send-off event Wednesday night at the Doral Opera Center for Miss Florida 2023, Juliette Valle, as she prepares to take on the crown for Miss America.The aspiring soprano singer attended the Florida Grand Opera’s Youth Artist Learning Academy when she was in her freshman year of high school and was excited to be back. “I feel very privileged to be here because I actually started training with the Florida Grand Opera when I was 14 to 15 years old, so to be back here seven years later is a full circle moment for me.” said Valle.“When she said her talent was opera, we’re like, ‘We’re going to be your coach. Grand Florida has to be behind you.’ We are accompanying her in her progress to the pageant of Miss America. We’re very proud of her.” said Florida General Director of Grand Opera, Maria Togaro. Valle is from Broward County and a graduate of the University of Miami. She has competed in the Mis...

World’s biggest cruise ship undergoes checks just weeks before first-ever voyage from Miami

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

(CNN) — The world’s largest cruise ship has been spotted in the Caribbean ahead of its highly anticipated inaugural voyage later this month.Royal Caribbean’s 1,198-foot Icon of the Seas, due to set sail from Miami, Florida on January 27, 2024, was pictured arriving in Ponce, Puerto Rico for “regulatory inspections” earlier this week.“Oh look who just arrived early this morning into the port in Ponce, Puerto Rico!” Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, wrote in a Facebook post shared on Tuesday. Final preparations“Next few days lots of regulatory inspections, loading and off loading equipment, yard workers going home, more crew arriving along with a very special crew member.”The enormous 20-deck vessel, which has capacity for up to 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members, will arrive in Miami on January 9, according to Bayley, who added that preparations were “going well.”Icon of the Seas was officially handed over to Royal Caribbean at the Meyer T...

Suspect in a shooting at an Iowa high school is dead, authorities say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — The suspect in a shooting at an Iowa high school has died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.Police say multiple people were shot Thursday at the high school in Perry, Iowa, and the official says at least one of the victims is a school administrator.The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were shot at the city’s high school Thursday, early on students’ first day back in classes after their annual winter break.Two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Perry, a community of about 8,000 people. Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooting occu...

Polish farmers resume blockade of border crossing with Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

WARSAW — Polish farmers restarted a blockade of a Poland-Ukraine border crossing on Thursday, accusing the new Polish government of failing to guarantee it will meet their demands for financial help.The farmers rejoined truckers at the Medyka-Shehyni crossing — hauliers are also blocking other crossings complaining about competition from Ukrainian rivals — turning the border issue into a political minefield for the new government in Warsaw.Prime Minister Donald Tusk needs to defuse the protests while not angering the transport and farming lobbies, all while ensuring that Kyiv gets material and political support to resist Russia’s war of aggression.Tusk said on Wednesday that he wants to investigate why the protesting farmers are back at the border and why they had so little trust in a deal struck with his government last month to end the blockade.He also worried about the signal being sent by the protests.“I will convince Polish hauliers not to use blockade as a method o...

Putin to grant citizenship to foreigners fighting for Russia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree allowing foreigners who fought with the Russian army during its war on Ukraine to apply for citizenship, providing they can demonstrate they signed up for a minimum of one year. According to the decree, which has been published on the Russian government’s website, the spouses, children and parents of foreigners serving in the Russian army will also be able to receive fast-track citizenship. Putin’s offer could now create incentives for foreigners with military experience to apply to join Russian ranks.The total number of foreigners fighting on Russia’s side during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine is not known. In September, Cuba announced it had arrested 17 people for involvement in a human-trafficking ring recruiting young men to fight for Moscow. Three months later, police in Nepal arrested 10 people for allegedly tricking unemployed young men into joining the Russian army.In December, Putin ...

Sheriff says multiple people have been shot at an Iowa high school and the threat is over

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were injured in a shooting at the city’s high school, on students’ first day back in classes after their annual winter break.An active shooter was reported at Perry High School at 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning and officers arrived seven minutes later, according to Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante. Infante said officers located multiple people with injuries, but couldn’t confirm how many there were or their conditions.An enormous number of emergency vehicles surrounded the building that houses both the town’s middle school and high school.Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the school day to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my enti...

CW Original Wild Cards premieres January 17th

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

The 29th annual Critics Choice Awards are coming to the CW on Sunday, January 14, 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

Chelsea Handler will the hosting the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards. You won’t want to miss it!

Multiple people have been shot at a high school in Perry, Iowa, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI (Associated Press)PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were shot at the city’s high school Thursday, early on students’ first day back in classes after their annual winter break.Two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Perry, a community of about 8,000 people. Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooting occurred before school was set to start, so there were few students and faculty in Perry High School.The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican presidential candidates were campaigning.An active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning and officers arrived seven minutes later, Infante said. He added during a news conference that officers located multiple people with injuries, but couldn’t confirm how many there were or their conditio...

Live coverage: Multiple gunshot victims at Perry High School, Sheriff says threat is over

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:06 GMT

PERRY, Iowa -- Multiple people were shot Thursday morning at Perry High School according to Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante.Law enforcement was notified about an active shooter at the school at 7:37 a.m. When emergency responders arrived on the scene they found multiple gunshot victims.At a news conference shortly after 10:00 a.m., Sheriff Infante said it's unclear how many victims were shot and the extent of their injuries at this time, but the threat is over and there is no danger to the public. NBC News is reporting the shooter is believed to be dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and may have been a student. At least three others were injured including two students and an administrator. WHO 13's Lindsey Burrell spoke with a representative for UnityPoint Health in Des Moines and confirmed they are treating two victims with gunshot wounds at Methodist Medical Center.Thursday was the first day back for students from the winter break and classes had not yet started...