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Porch Lights Shine As Community Supports Family Of Boy, 11, Killed In Crash With School Bus Porch Lights Shine As Community Supports Family Of Boy, 11, Killed In Crash With School Bus Porch Lights Shine As Community Supports Family Of Boy, 11, Killed In Crash With School Bus
Porch Lights Shine As Community Supports Family Of Boy, 11, Killed In Crash With School Bus A Connecticut town is surrounding the family of sixth-grader Torren O’Grady with love, support, and light after he died in a crash. Torren O’Grady, 11, was killed after he collided with a school bus while riding his bike in North Stonington around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, near Old Colony and Pinecrest roads. The bus driver has not been charged as of Sunday. The loss came five days into the new school year. North Stonington Public Schools dismissed students early Wednesday so children could be with their families after the traumatic incident. The district made counselors, e…

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by Josh Lanier
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Best, Worst Places To Retire In US Revealed In New Ranking: How MA Fared Best, Worst Places To Retire In US Revealed In New Ranking: How MA Fared Best, Worst Places To Retire In US Revealed In New Ranking: How MA Fared
Best, Worst Places To Retire In US Revealed In New Ranking: How MA Fared A new report shows which cities offer the best affordability, activities, and other benefits for retirees. WalletHub released its 2026 Best & Worst Places to Retire ranking on Monday, Aug. 31. The personal finance website compared 182 US cities across 45 measures covering affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care. The study evaluated cities using factors including adjusted cost of living, taxes, recreation and senior centers, museums, weather, crime rates, access to health care providers, hospital quality, and life expectancy. The analysis assumes retirees ar…

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by Chris Spiker
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Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation
Connecticut Mom ‘Overwhelmed With Gratitude’ After Taylor Swift’s $50K Donation A Connecticut mother who was nearly killed after stopping to help three teenagers who crashed on Interstate 95 in July said she is "overwhelmed with gratitude" after Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to support her recovery. Ashlie Taunton, of Ledyard, was severely injured July 18 after she stopped to help teenagers whose vehicle had hydroplaned off I-95 in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, during a rainstorm. Moments after she helped the last person out of the vehicle, a second car veered off the road. She shoved a teenager to safety before the car struck her. The 42-year-old's heroism has drawn nationa…

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by Josh Lanier
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Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95
Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Ashley Taunton isn't out of the woods yet, but Taylor Swift is helping her get there. The 42-year-old Connecticut mother who suffered critical injuries while assisting a group of teenagers on I-95 got an unexpected assist from a certain 36-year-old singer. You may have heard of her. Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe campaign for Ashley Taunton, whose recovery from a July crash has gone viral. PEOPLE confirmed on Friday that the pop star had contributed to the fund, which has since jumped to more than $87,000 since it was created in July. Taylor Swift made a big donation…

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by Zak Failla
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Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA
Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia waited more than half a century for another Miss USA. The wait ended in historic fashion on Thursday, Aug. 27, when Miss Virginia USA Justus Kelley was crowned Miss USA 2026 during the 75th edition of the pageant in Miami. Kelley, 31, became the first mother and first married woman to win the Miss USA title, according to People and Business Insider. She is also reportedly the first woman in her 30s to win. And she ended quite the drought back home. Kelley became the first woman representing Virginia to win Miss USA since Deborah Shelton took the crown in 1970, according to B…

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by Zak Failla
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Most Fun States Ranked In New Study: See How MA Fared Most Fun States Ranked In New Study: See How MA Fared Most Fun States Ranked In New Study: See How MA Fared
Most Fun States Ranked In New Study: See How MA Fared The Northeast has some of the most fun states in the country, but several others landed near the bottom of a new ranking. WalletHub released its 2026 list of the Most Fun States in America on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The study compared all 50 states across 26 metrics of entertainment, recreation, and nightlife, including restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, national park access, music festivals, bars, casinos, and recreation spending. The personal finance website split the study into two main categories: entertainment and recreation, which made up 80% of the score, and nightlife, which ac…

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by Chris Spiker
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New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate
New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate A new website is helping drivers see whether their license plate has been searched in Flock Safety's controversial surveillance system. HaveIBeenFlocked.com says it has compiled data on nearly 242 million unique searches involving more than 4.6 million plates. The records range between December 2021 and July 2026. According to the website, the data comes from audit logs released through Freedom of Information Act requests and Flock-provided transparency portals. "The dataset is incomplete," the website says on its FAQ page. "Few governments provide easy access to these …

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by Chris Spiker
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$2M Lottery Payday: Mass Woman Looking To Buy 2 Homes With Her Windfall $2M Lottery Payday: Mass Woman Looking To Buy 2 Homes With Her Windfall $2M Lottery Payday: Mass Woman Looking To Buy 2 Homes With Her Windfall
$2M Lottery Payday: Mass Woman Looking To Buy 2 Homes With Her Windfall While no Bay Stater won the $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot, one Lynn woman became a multimillionaire in last week's drawing, state lottery officials announced.  Almasa Cajic won a $2 million prize in the Wednesday, Aug. 12, Powerball drawing. A man in Illinois won the full $1.04 jackpot, the eighth-largest in the multi-state lottery's history.  Cajic's ticket correctly guessed the first five numbers in the drawing, which won her $1 million. But she had bought the Power Play option, which doubled her winnings.  She claimed the $2 million payday (before taxes) last week and s…

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by Josh Lanier
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Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash
Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Safety is making major changes to how it stores data as nationwide privacy concerns rise over the controversial surveillance cameras. The company announced the updates in a blog post on Thursday, Aug. 13. Flock says it will cut its recommended default retention period for automatic license plate reader (ALPR) data from 30 to seven days. The changes also include new safeguards that Flock says will prevent law enforcement from misusing data. Flock will require agencies to use a system that flags unusual searches, automatically locks some users out pending review…

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by Chris Spiker
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Talk About A Souvenir: Maryland Man Visits Massachusetts Family, Leaves $1 Million Richer Talk About A Souvenir: Maryland Man Visits Massachusetts Family, Leaves $1 Million Richer Talk About A Souvenir: Maryland Man Visits Massachusetts Family, Leaves $1 Million Richer
Talk About A Souvenir: Maryland Man Visits Massachusetts Family, Leaves $1 Million Richer Cory Choquette had one hell of a family trip. The Maryland man was hundreds of miles from home when he cashed in big on a Massachusetts Lottery scratcher. Choquette came home a newly-minted millionaire. The Mechanicsville man was visiting family up north when he picked up a 100X scratcher from Valero on North Main Street in Palmer. Good call. The ticket was worth a seven-figure jackpot. Choquette claimed the million-dollar prize at Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters in Dorchester, authorities announced this week. He opted against taking the full prize through an annuity and i…

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by Zak Failla
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$1M Lottery Jackpot: Worcester Woman Wants To Help Herself, Community With Winnings $1M Lottery Jackpot: Worcester Woman Wants To Help Herself, Community With Winnings $1M Lottery Jackpot: Worcester Woman Wants To Help Herself, Community With Winnings
$1M Lottery Jackpot: Worcester Woman Wants To Help Herself, Community With Winnings A Massachusetts woman who recently won $1 million in the state lottery said she plans to use the money to help herself and her community.  Ashley Hurley of Worcester won the seven-figure windfall playing the $5 “LOTERIA” scratch ticket game. She chose the lump-sum payment option and took home a check worth $650,000 (before taxes).  Hurley said she plans to use the money to pay for her master's degree program in social work so she can help her community.  She bought the winning ticket at Mobil, 635 Chandler St. in Worcester. The store will get a $10,000 bonus for the sa…

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by Josh Lanier
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MA Among 5 Best States To Live In US, New Study Says: Here's Why MA Among 5 Best States To Live In US, New Study Says: Here's Why MA Among 5 Best States To Live In US, New Study Says: Here's Why
MA Among 5 Best States To Live In US, New Study Says: Here's Why From strong schools and health care to high incomes and low crime, several Northeast states are among the best places to live, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2026 Best States to Live In list on Monday, Aug. 10. The study ranked all 50 states using 51 measures of livability, from housing affordability and income growth to education, health, quality of life, and safety. Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said it's important to look beyond just economic reasons. "When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing price…

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by Chris Spiker