Mother of fallen firefighter frustrated with lack of action on welding safety bill

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Louisa Moller

Click here for updates on this story

    BOSTON (WBZ) — Flames glowed from the roof an old mill building in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood on Saturday. Fire officials report that flames were moving across the roof of 1 Westinghouse Plaza. A firefighter was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest.

Now, this Hyde Park fire is stoking an anger that has lived inside Kathy Crosby-Bell for over a decade. Crosby-Bell’s son, Boston Firefighter Michael Kennedy, and fellow firefighter Lt. Edward Walsh were both killed in a Back Bay blaze in 2014. The cause of the fire at a Beacon Street brownstone was determined to be sparks from unpermitted welding work on a windy day.

The cause of Saturday’s fire in Hyde Park is still under investigation but fire officials say welding was taking place at the building last weekend.

“I know a lot of fires begin because of hot works and nobody wants to track them,” Crosby-Bell said.

For years, Crosby-Bell and her non-profit, the Last Call Foundation, have advocated for legislation which would increase oversight and training for welders.

Right now, there are two proposed bills that would require welders to undergo training using a National Fire Protection Association program, impose fines on welders who do not take the training, and slap criminal penalties on welders who do not take training and have work that results in injury or death.

“There’s somebody to hold responsible. Not like what happened with Mike and Ed. Nobody was held responsible,” Crosby-Bell said.

The legislation also proposes a database of welders.

Different versions of the legislation have languished in the State House for a decade and Crosby-Bell wants to know why.

“On March 26, it will be 12 years since that fire happened. And the immediate aftermath was everyone wanted to help and do something. Well that faded so quickly with the politicians and we have to wonder why,” she said.

WBZ-TV reached out to the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, where the legislation currently sits, as well as the sponsor of the Senate and House versions of the bill and received no response.

WBZ-TV learned the welding work taking place at 1 Westinghouse Plaza was done with a proper permit. The firefighter who went to hospital remains there.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table wrap-up

KEYT on March 17, 2026

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table:

Boys Athlete of the Week: Logan Patterson Deakyne, San Marcos senior track & field: 1st place in 400 meter (50.53), 1st place in 300 hurdles (39.45), 4th place in 110 hurdles (15.82) at Spartan Relays* 2nd fastest 300 hurdle time in SM history

Girls Athlete of the Week: Anastasia Brunner, Dos Pueblos senior softball: 3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI, 3 R in 17-4 win over Santa Clara, 3-for-4, 3B. 2 R in 9-0 win over Buena, 3-for-4, 2B, 2 R in 10-0 win over Buena

Santa Barbara High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Dane Polchin boys lacrosse: On the field the senior Polchin was the defensive MVP last year for the Dons. In the classroom he has a 4.81 GPA and was named an AP Scholar in 2024 and an AP Scholar with Distinction in 2025.

San Marcos High School Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award: Lily Ruvalcaba, girls basketball: On the court Ruvalcaba is a second team All-Channel League performer. She carries a 4.66 GPA and has totaled 160 community service hours.

Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table:

Girls Athlete of the Week: Haley Townes, Santa Ynez track and field: Townes won the 100 and 200 meter races at the Nipomo Invite, setting a school record in the 100m with a time of 12.64 seconds.

Boys Athlete of the Week: Ashton Bluem, St. Joseph baseball: Bluem smashed a 3-run home run and scored 2 runs in a win at Lompoc.

Click here to follow the original article.

Dos Pueblos High Robotics Team prepares for next competition

KEYT on March 17, 2026

Tracy Lehr

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) Octobot Robotics Team 9084 is preparing for its next competition.

Team members from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta competed at a regional competition in Port Hueneme in early March and made it to the top 10.

Students chose the name “Octobots Robotics.”

The teens had eight weeks to build a robot and succeeded during three days of competition.

They will soon compete in Glendale.

If all goes well Dos Pueblos High School’s Octobot Robotics team will earn a spot at the state competition in April.

Click here to follow the original article.

Slap Me Some Skin

KRDO on March 17, 2026

Rob Namnoum

Top prep playoff performances for the week

Click here to follow the original article.

Serving up school lunch success: Potandon Produce pays it forward at Dora Erickson Elementary

KIFI on March 17, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – As hungry kids struggle to for school lunch throughout East Idaho, Potandon Produce is challenging other businesses to help pay off outstanding school lunch balances at local elementary schools.

“Over Christmas, my sister and I were talking. She’s a former educator, and she had suggested [helping] school lunch programs,” said T.J. Christenson, a Potandon Gives ambassador. “They have negative balances typically, so I reached out to my nephew’s school, Dora Erickson, to see what their negative lunch balance was, and it was a hefty total.”

Potandon launched a community giving initiative last June, seeking to give back and strengthen the community. 

“We have an entire list – up and down the valley – of the negative lunch balances,” Christenson said. “So we started with Dora Erickson and donated to them.”

The Potandon Gives program donated $2,500 to cover all of the negative lunch balances (with extra to assist through the end of the year) at the school on Thursday.

Those unpaid school lunches sure add up fast.

In District 91 alone, elementary students and their families owe about $25,000 for school lunches, a number that continues to grow, she said.

“We wanted to be able to ensure that the kids are getting fed and that they have food security,” Christenson said. 

She hopes other people and corporations will help step up to the plate.

“We’d love for the community to go out and support their local schools – whether it’s an individual or whether it’s a business, go out, pay off the school lunch balance,” she said. “If it’s the school in your neighborhood, your kids go there, your grandkids go there – go and support the kids.”

In the past nine months, Potandon Gives has donated a total of $74,100 to a variety of youth sports organizations, D.A.R.E., Rocket Club, Business Professionals of America, an eSports team, St. Vincent de Paul, Shepherd’s Inn and Elks Lodge. 

Last week, it provided $12,000 total in checks to Dora Erickson Elementary, the Community Food Basket, American Falls High School’s band and first aid buckets at Fairview Elementary.

With so many non-profit organizations in the region, Potandon Gives has not duplicated a donation.

Potandon is the exclusive distributor of Green Giant Fresh potatoes and onion.

If you would like to assist covering school lunch balances in District 91, you can visit this website on the District’s official page. (You can type in the name of the school you are helping under “Memo.”)

Potandon Produce invites you to give back by helping cover unpaid student lunch balances at your local school.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ditch burn escapes east of Bend, races across nearly seven acres before crews stop its spread

KTVZ on March 17, 2026

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The owner of a property east of Bend had a valid burn permit, but Monday’s work burning ditches got away from them, sparking a fire that covered almost seven acres before it was stopped.

Bend Fire & Rescue crews were called around 3:40 p.m. to the escaped burn off the Powell Butte Highway, Bend Fire & Rescue Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

“The owner was out burning his ditches when the wind carried the fire past his containment and started to spread,” Derlacki said.

Crews arrived and worked to stop the spread of the fire before it left the owner’s property.

Bend Fire was assisted by Alfalfa Fire, Oregon Department of Forestry and BLM fire crews, as well as Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies for traffic control.

Smoke from Monday’s escaped field burn could be seen for miles (View from Powell Butte ALERTWest/OHAZ/University of Oregon. courtesy of Watch Duty)

The fire was stopped on the owner’s property, at 6.6 acres, Derlacki said, and no damage to buildings or fences was found.

“The fire burning mostly pasture land, with a few trees, brush piles, and brush surrounding the fields burning as well,” the fire official said.

Derlacki said the land owners had a current burn permit for burning fields. They were out burning ditches this afternoon, but unfortunately didn’t have all the water they should have to be prepared.

“They were following all the other rules of the permit and had called in to ensure burning was open today,” he said. “With light winds predicted today, open burning was open today.”

Just last week, a 2-day-old burn pile that was believed to be out rekindled in strong winds northeast of Sisters and burned nearly two acres before firefighters contained it.

Derlacki noted that burning is typically open through May 31 each year for debris and field burning outside the Bend city limits.

But he added, “That date may be moved up if we continue with the dry spring weather. Burning can be shut down from day to day when winds are predicted above 20 mph. Burn permits are needed for field burning and for large piles. This permit includes a site visit to go over safe burning practices.”

In Monday’s case, Derlacki said, “The owner knows to have more water on hand for next year, if they choose to burn again.”

He told KTVZ News that “dry and windy conditions contribute to most escaped burns, as well as not having enough tools/water on hand in the event of an escape, or not prepping the area enough a head of time.”

The Bend fire official asked that anyone with questions about burning call their office at 541-322-6386 to schedule a site visit. He also stressed that debris burning is not allowed within the Bend city limits year-round, under city ordinance.

More information on burning regulations can be found on the Bend Fire website, www.bendoregon.gov/fire and by clicking on the Outdoor Burning Information tab. You can also always call the burn information line before you burn, at 541-322-6335.

Click here to follow the original article.

“We are sorry”; Teton County settles lawsuit over wrongly charged $25,000 housing fee

KIFI on March 17, 2026

Stephanie Lucas

JACKSON, Wyoming (KIFI) — Teton County has issued a rare apology and a nearly $30,000 refund to a Jackson couple after admitting it “incorrectly calculated” an affordable housing fee that sparked a years-long legal battle. What the county called a staff mistake, business owners Trey and Shelby Scharp called a “hostage” situation over their building permit.

“Teton County made a mistake. We required you to pay an affordable housing mitigation fee that you did not need to pay,” county leadership said in a statement Monday. “We are sorry. We regret every minute of distress this litigation caused you,” the statement continued.

The case began in 2021 when local business owners Trey and Shelby Scharp bought a five-acre property with a 1,000-square-foot cabin on it. They planned to build a new family home on the property while living in the cabin, then turn the cabin into a rental after their new home was ready.

Teton County officials told the Scharps their cabin was too big to be considered an auxiliary dwelling unit. Then, when they applied for a building permit for the new house in 2022, the county said they were required to pay $25,000 for an “affordable workforce housing fee.”

The idea for the fee is that building in the Jackson area will create construction jobs and service jobs; however, because it is one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, these workers will not be able to afford housing in the same area. The resulting fee to the builder is meant to fund subsidized housing for the area workforce.

The Scharps sued Teton County in May 2025. “Teton County cannot hold building permits hostage until property owners pay excessive fees unrelated to their projects,” said their attorneys at the Pacific Legal Foundation, “Such requirements unfairly burden families like the Scharps who simply want to build a home and help solve local housing problems,” referencing the Sharp’s plan to rent out the smaller cabin once their new family home was finished.

“The residential site included a historic structure,” Teton County said, in reference to the existing cabin, “and credit for the historic structure was applied incorrectly. When this credit was properly applied, the floor area for the overall project dropped below 2,500 square feet, negating the affordable housing mitigation fee.”

The Pacific Legal Foundation says under the settlement agreement, “the County will refund the Scharps the $24,325 in ‘affordable workforce housing’ fees, as well as 7% interest since the fee was imposed, for a total of $29,909.00.”

The mitigation fees have been controversial and challenged before. Wyoming House Bill 141 would have prohibited cities and counties from imposing those fees; however, it failed in Wyoming’s 2026 Legislative session.

Teton County housing-fee Lawsuit 03162026Download

Click here to follow the original article.

Rep. Raul Ruiz calls for investigation into Greg Bovino

KYMA on March 17, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

WASHINGTON (KYMA) – Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) wrote a letter Monday to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to request an investigation into Greg Bovino.

The letter comes after two CBP officials said Bovino will retire from Border Patrol at the end of the month.

In the letter, Rep. Ruiz wrote that he is requesting CBP to “open a full and independent investigation” into Bovino’s conduct and to examine whether the conduct “disqualifies him from receiving federal retirement benefits.”

Citing two sources, CBS News and the Associated Press, the congressman said, “A federal judge found that Bovino lied under oath about his use of force” and was also ordered to appear before the same judge “each evening to account for his agents’ actions.”

In addition, Ruiz said Bovino was “the subject of multiple court orders dealing with racial profiling.

“These are not allegations, they are documented findings, and they raise a serious question about whether someone with this record should retire with full taxpayer-funded benefits,” the congressman wrote.

Bovino was removed from his role as CBP Commander at Large in January and returned to his role as a Border Patrol Sector Chief in El Centro after the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

After he was removed, he was replaced by border czar Tom Homan, who oversaw operations in Minnesota.

Bovino’s expected departure coincides with the removal of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

To read the letter in full, see attached file.

2026-03-10_Homeland Bovino Investigation_UpdatedDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

YCADC’s impact on the Yuma community

KYMA on March 17, 2026

Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation on what the Yuma County Anti-Drug Coalition (YCADC) does for our community.

One upcoming event is focused on celebrating graduating high school seniors in a safe place away from substances.

Joanne Fiser, YCADC Executive Director, says, “We’ll have silent disco, photobooths, silent giveaway, and we are reaching out to the community right now for sponsors, and so this doesn’t happen without community support.”

Grad night is happening on May 22 and is free for all graduating students.

“The grad night, which is just a great thing, it’s a place for the kids to go without having to be out on the road or going out and trying to cross the border, and go to Mexico, they got a place to go here locally, and have fun and just enjoy themselves,” explained Darren Simmons, Yuma County Board of Supervisors, District 3.

YCADC is dedicated to strengthening our community through substance use prevention and mental health awareness.

“Yuma County Anti Drug Coalition is about prevention and awareness, we bring prevention to all of Yuma County to families, and students and kids across the whole county,” says Fiser.

Since the coalition started they have reached over 29,000 kids and served over 208,000 residents in Yuma County.

YCADC membership has also increased by 600% since November of 2023.

The coalition unites community members advancing their approach to education, advocacy, and support across Yuma County.

“We make a positive impact on so many different community members across our county, our county consists of you know our schools, businesses, and the positive impact we bring at events, whether were sharing resource materials, or giving presentations,” says Fiser.

For more information on how you can volunteer and help sustain YCADC impact, you can visit our the YCADC website at https://yumacountyantidrugcoalition.org/.

Click here to follow the original article.

Local doctor weighs in on removal of ‘black box’ warnings from HRT products used to treat menopause

KMIZ on March 17, 2026

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A local doctor is hopeful a change in warnings on hormone replacement therapy for menopause will lead to more women exploring their options.

The Food and Drug Administration announced in November that it was initiating the removal of “black box” warnings hormone replacement therapy products for menopause. The FDA claimed the warnings were misleading and asked companies to remove references to risks of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and dementia.

According to Dr. Lisa Brennaman, an OBGYN at MU HealthCare, a study performed in 2000 looked into the risks and benefits of the therapy using a large cohort of women. The biggest flaw in the study was that it contained a group of women that were of older age, leading to an increase in cardiovascular disease, dementia and the possibility of breast cancer.

Follow-up research was conducted that included a younger group of women, who were younger than 60 years old or within 10 years of the onset of menopause and found those risks were significantly reduced or nonexistent.

An analysis was then published in 2015, followed by observational studies which worked to strengthen data regarding the safety of HRT for the majority of women and leading to the FDA’s announcement, according to Brennaman.

“There was a lot of associated media coverage when the findings were initially published in the early 2000s that resulted in a dramatic decrease in the prescribing of hormone replacement therapy,” Brennaman said. “Literally within days to weeks of the published findings, women came to their doctors and abruptly stopped therapy and the rate of prescriptions of hormone replacement therapy plummeted drastically.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, From 1999 to 2020, the prevalence of menopausal hormone therapy use decreased among women of all age groups, from 26.9% in 1999 to 4.7% in 2020.

Brennaman said she believed the hormone therapy was fairly uncommon for women about a year or two ago, but thinks it has risen dramatically in popularity since then as women have gained more awareness.

Brennaman said since the changes were made last fall, women’s healthcare providers and physicians are trying to spread the word to women and doctors about the new safety data. She said the benefits of the therapy likely outweigh the risks for the majority of women younger than 60 years old or within 10 years of initiation.

It’s also something Brennaman said physicians within the OBGYN women’s health community have been lobbying for for a while, and view the change as a “win” for advancing women’s health.

“Women come to my office and say to me often, ‘I’m really suffering. Menopause is impacting my work and my family relationships but I’m so afraid of getting cancer.’ So, I think there are a lot of fears and myths that women have regarding the risk of cancer…and now we know that the risks are actually quite minimal and the benefits are significant,” Brennaman said.

What is HRT and how does it help?

Hormonal replacement therapy takes many different forms, depending on what symptoms women are trying to improve.

Generally, it’s used to treat menopause, which refers to a 12-consecutive-month period when menstruation stops for women, which is on average at age 51. Physicians typically use estrogen to treat symptoms– which can include hot flashes and night sweats– although a form of progesterone is also used in women who still have a uterus.

Estorgen can come in the form of a pill, patch, gel or a vaginal ring and women typically see a 60% to 90% improvement in hot flashes and night sweats when using it, according to Brennaman.

Women will also typically see improvements in symptoms roughly within seven days of using HRT, followed by peak control with any initiation and dose change around eight to 12 weeks of therapy.

Menopause symptoms also include sleep disturbance, changes in cognitive function or brain fog and an overall decline in quality of life. Some women will also experience bone thinning or osteoporosis, urogenital symptoms or vaginal dryness.

Brennaman said there isn’t a set amount of time that people should use the therapy, but said most women will use treatment for a number of years until they soften the transition to menopause. When treatment is stopped, a resurgence of symptoms is likely.

A slight increased risk of breast cancer is also possible for women who use estrogen and progesterone together for years. Brennaman said some women will choose to lower their dose, wean off of therapy or continue to use it for life.

Who should use it?

Although more research has been done striking down previous beliefs about HRT, doctors say the therapy should still be used on a case-by-case basis. According to Brennaman, HRT slightly increases the risk of having a blood clot in the legs or lungs and can also slightly increase the risk of irregular bleeding.

Women who have ever had a blood clot, have uncontrolled hypertension, significant lung disease or any form of active cancer should weigh those before being prescribed hormone therapy.

“Your physician or provider should sit down with you and review your medical history, exactly what symptoms you want to be targeting, your family history, your overall preventive care and then kind of arrive at an option that hopefully meets your needs in the safest way possible,” Brennaman said.

Brennaman also said that cost is typically not a barrier for women who choose to use HRT. Oral pills are typically the cheapest form, while patch therapy tends to be more expensive. However, that is usually covered by most insurance plans.

A generic local topical estrogen cream used to treat genital urinary symptoms is also affordable, she said.

Most women can be prescribed HRT by their OBGYN, but can also receive it from general practitioners who do a significant amount of women’s health within their practice.

Brennaman said she recommends people consult a physician before using products to treat menopause and said she doesn’t think it’s necessary for all women, but thinks people should ask for help sooner, rather than later.

“I think patients who are having symptoms do not need to wait until the time of severe disability or negative consequences like job loss, relationship loss, sleep exhaustion, osteoporotic fracture before they seek help,” Brennaman said.

Click here to follow the original article.