Latest news with #Cote
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marcos Lopez arrest: 2 arrested in connection to case, search for 2 still on
The Brief Two people have been arrested in connection to the case involving suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez. One of the co-defendants has already been released on bond, and authorities are continuing to search for two others who they believe were involved. Lopez was arrested on Thursday on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering over his alleged involvement in a major years-long illegal gambling operation. OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Two people have been arrested in connection to the case involving suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, officials say. One of the co-defendants has already been released on bond, and authorities are continuing to search for two others who they believe were involvedin the major years-long illegal gambling operation run out of a social club in Kissimmee. What we know According to a criminal complaint, Lopez and at least four others – Ying Zhang, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt and Carol Cote – owned or operated the million-dollar social club in Kissimmee. Marion County residents Carol Cote and Sharon Fedrick were arrested on Thursday, while officials are still looking for Ying Zhang and Sheldon Wetherholt. On Friday, both Cote and Fedrick were granted bond pending trial by a Lake County judge. Fedrick's bond was set at $300,000 per count due to prior state and federal convictions, while Cote's bond was set at $100,000 for each count. Cote was released on bond later in the day. FOX 35 has learned that she has both an 8-year-old child and 2-year-old twins. Both Cote and Fedrick are scheduled to next appear in court on June 30. What we know On Thursday, Lopez was arrested on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering over his alleged involvement in a major years-long illegal gambling operation, officials said. Lopez was booked into the Lake County Jail and suspended as Osceola County Sheriff by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. FHP's Christopher Blackmon was selected to replace him. According to the Florida Attorney General's Office and the criminal complaint, Lopez was allegedly part of a "massive Central Florida gambling operation" for years. Lopez – and others – face at least two charges: Racketeering Conspiracy to commit racketeering According to the complaint, Lopez was connected to, aware of or part of an illegal gambling operation that ran lotteries and slot machines. Officials say the organization generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds. Following Lopez's election as Osceola County Sheriff in November 2020, investigators say he continued to advance the interests of the criminal organization and collected a portion of the illegal gambling proceeds for his involvement. Dig deeper Lopez was born in Chicago and raised in Central Florida. After obtaining an associate degree in criminal justice, Lopez joined the Osceola County Sheriff's Office in 2003 while serving in the Navy Reserve. He has served as sheriff since 2021 and became the first Hispanic sheriff in the county and the state. Lopez has three children, two of whom are University of Central Florida (UCF) graduates. RELATED STORIES Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez arrested on racketeering charges, officials say Who is Christopher Blackmon? Appointed Osceola County sheriff amid Marcos Lopez arrest, suspension Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez mug shot Video: Sheriff Marcos Lopez arrested Marcos Lopez arrested: What happens if he's fired as Osceola County Sheriff? STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information gathered from the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections office, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office website and shared by the Federal Department of Justice (FDOJ), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Cote offering special menu and free beer for Father's Day eat in or at home
Cote offering special menu and free beer for Father's Day eat in or at home There are offers and menus at the brasserie and with Cote at Home Côte has unveiled its menu and deals for Father's Day with an in-restaurant menu and home-dining experience designed by Gordon Ramsay's former Executive Chef. Côte Brasserie has curated menus and free drinks for dad, whether dining in eating at home. Côte offers a breakfast with their Breakfast Complet menu. Giving guests a choice of their breakfast dish, a fresh juice and a hot drink from £16.45. All dads dining at breakfast on Father's Day will be treated to a free Bloody Mary (or Virgin Mary). For those opting for lunch (or dinner), Côte's French Sunday Roast starts at £26.50 per person with a twist on the traditional favourites. Choose from chicken or steak, served with French-inspired trimmings such as confit potatoes, Comté Yorkshire puddings and a peppercorn sauce. Côte's Prix Fixe set menu will be available all weekend, offering three courses from £24.95. Every dad will get a complimentary 1664 Blanc lager. For those celebrating at home, Côte at Home offers a Father's Day dining experience, delivered straight to your door. The Rib-eye Roast Box (from £54.95) serves two to four and features Côte's aged rib-eye beef served with creamed potatoes with a Comté crust, rosemary Chantenay carrots, savoy cabbage with garlic butter, and spiced honey pigs in blankets. Two complimentary 1664 Blanc beers are included. Article continues below Steve Allen, Côte's Executive Chef, said: 'At Côte, we believe that food is about more than just nourishment, it's about creating memories. This Father's Day, we've designed menus that honour time spent together, from long brunches and hearty roasts to restaurant-quality meals at home. With classic French flavours, handcrafted desserts, and our complimentary drinks for Dad, we hope to make his day as special as he deserves.'
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
The Banana Tree review: I tried Cardiff's newest city centre restaurant and have some thoughts
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An unavoidable characteristic of a healthy city centre shopping destination is the steady multiplication of chain restaurants to serve the thousands of shoppers. As dining trends chop and change, restaurant units come and go, new openings pique the interest of casual diners eager for a mid-shop or post-work fill. The latest UK-wide chain to open on Cardiff's The Hayes is The Banana Tree, a south-Asian-flavoured addition to the Mill Lane end of town, right next to dependable, Japanese-inspired Wagamamas and opposite Francophile bistro chain, Cote. These types of restaurants are designed to fill you up - quickly, and set you back on your way to John Lewis or H&M, off to a big gig or for that capital city bar crawl/cocktail afternoon. So with that substantial city centre footfall in mind and this branch being the first in Wales of The Banana Tree - the first branch of which opened 30 years ago in London - I went along to check out what the menu had to offer. Boasting 'fiery flavours' the menu is full of Thai, Malaysian, Japanese and more, inspired food with curries, ramens, laksas and gochuchang-flavoured options. The menu is vast, I'll say that, and it was tough to pin-point exactly what we fancied. Swerving my favourite (perhaps predictable) katsu curry, we picked three starters, prawns, chicken and spring rolls and mains, Thai railway fried rice with chicken (£16.50) and the 'king of curries', beef rendang (£18.50). Seated in a corner by the window, service was friendly, if not a little ingenuous - there were a few periods of waiting a bit too long and we weren't asked if we wanted a dessert after waiting 20 minutes for our plates to be cleared - but given how new the team are, let's give them a pass for now. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Starters On those starters, one was excellent, Mekong prawns (£8.25), one tasty, Malaysian chicken satay skewers (£8.95) and the Vietnamese spring rolls (£7.75) were my least favourite. They were slightly bland and lacking filling, even with the nuoc cham (Vietnamese fish sauce) although my partner disagreed and argued they were 'better than average'. The chicken satay skewers were chunky and moist and had a nice underlay of smoky flavour but it was the prawns that stood out. They came in a portion of four - always a bonus as I hate it when portions come in threes! - were butterflied and covered in a beautiful light, crunchy coating and sprinkled with crushed peanuts and fresh herbs. What the menu really undersells with the prawns is the 'chilli salsa' dipping sauce, it seemed so much more nuanced than that with a sweet, sour, sticky, tangy, chilli-bite to it that we really liked. Mains (Image: Kathryn Williams) With my dining partner honing in on the 'king of curries', the beef rendang, we were expecting good things. The curry dish itself comes with jasmine rice, Asian slaw and crackers. It's an attractive looking plate and a decent introduction to Malaysian food. The dark, thick nutty curry sauce coated the soft chunks of beef and there was enough to dip the prawn crackers into and stir in some rice. The Asian slaw was nice and broke up the unctous curry section of the meal. Beef rendang is a fairly rich, filling meal and I understand the slightly smaller portion accompanied by lots of different bits, than you'd normally get at an authentic, independent Malaysian place. If you're out for the day shopping or drinking in town, you don't want a massive bowl of rich, beef curry because that'll probably make you want to lie down, instead. So all in all, it's the ideal entry level rendang but if you like it I'd seek out either Jalan in Cathays or Masala Hut in Cardiff Market. (Image: Kathryn Williams) Over to my Thai railway rice, which I ordered with chicken and came served in a deep bowl, the signature banana leaf in situ and dressed with a nice charred half lime and a generous number of pickled lime slices. I really enjoyed this dish. It looked great, was a massive, filling portion (I took a big bulk of it home) and was just something that was warming, comforting, a really satisfying dish. You know the way oodles of people love ramen for its comfortable soupy wholesomeness, well, sticky, stodgy, tasty rice dishes are my ramen. And this massively fitted the bill. Could I make it at home? Yes, probably, but could I be bothered to make it at home - probably not and I don't possess a Wally's level of spice mixes and fish sauces. What is railway rice I hear you ask? Well, it's Thai-style egg fried rice with a bunch of turmeric powder and soy sauce, and peppers, red onion, green beans and sweet fresh basil chucked in and thrown around in a wok. It's Banana Tree's take on a traditional fried rice dish that was sold on railway stations along the Thai southern railway line. There was so much flavour thanks to the sizzled rice doused in tumeric and soy, the beans and peppers added a fresh crunch to what was perfectly sticky rice for me. I took the leftovers home and enjoyed it even more the next day - other than the fact I accidentally ate all the chicken chunks the night before. Verdict While I enjoyed my prawns and Thai rice main, The Banana Tree isn't going to be high on my list for destination south Asian cuisine - Cardiff offers a really rich mix of options from our long-established indies should you want that kind of cuisine. For Thai, we've got the Asian Delish in the market, old favourites like Bangkok Cafe in Canton and Tuk Tuk in Cathays, and of course, the gamechanging Brother Thai on Whitchurch Road. What it is appealing for, though, is, as aforementioned, those who flock to the city centre on big match days, gig days, nights out and shopping trips. Big menu, decent portions and it's right there............. Exactly where: 16 Mill Lane, CF10 1FL
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here we go again: South Florida columnist calls out Connor McDavid for second straight year
During last year's Stanley Cup Final, there were some extremely interesting and dramatic storylines that played out over the course of a seven-game extravaganza. One of the more unexpected narratives came from a longtime, well respected South Florida sports columnist named Greg Cote. Advertisement Prior to the start of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, Cote wrote that Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was 'overrated.' As one might imagine, it was universally disagreed with, which didn't seem to bother Cote one bit. In his original story, Cote wrote: 'Connor McDavid is overrated. Boom. He puts up big, impressive stats, yes. Fine. But should he really be called 'generational,' called the best player in the sport, when in nine seasons he has yet to lead his team to a Stanley Cup?' McDavid went on to record three goals and 11 points during the Final, capping off a postseason in which he racked up 42 points and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. Advertisement He followed that ridiculousness up with his fifth straight 100-point season (it would be his ninth straight, but he finished with 97 points after playing just 64 games in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. As for this year's playoffs, McDavid has logged a more modest six goals and 26 points in 16 outings while leading his team back to the Final in two less games than it took last postseason. Apparently, none of that has impressed Cote. Not only did he double down on his 'overrated' take from last season, but he brought a certain South Florida sports legend into the conversation, just to further prove his point. Advertisement 'Is it true some nincompoop Miami columnist referred to McDavid as 'McOverrated' in last year's Final?' Yes, I did! (Who uses the word nincompoop anymore?) And guess what? The unkind nickname is even more of a snug fit now. 'McOverrated does not mean McDavid isn't great. He is. He has won three Hart (MVP) trophies, led the league in points five times. His combo of speed and stick-handling might be unmatched. But enough with the McJesus, next-Gretzky hyberbole. He isn't perfect. Nothing special defensively. Prone to turning the puck over. Oh, and this minor thing: NO CHAMPIONSHIPS. Zero Stanley Cups in his 10th NHL season. Tick-tock, Connor. Not sure about you Canadians, but here in the States we sort of a put a premium on winning it all. (It's why Dan Marino never really entered the greatest-QB-ever talk even though he shattered NFL passing records. Never won a Super Bowl.)' Painful Dan Marino memories aside, do we really want to poke the bear? Advertisement Again? LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida Panthers organization takes part in virtual 5K in support of Gaudreau family Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Says This About Oilers Ahead Of Final If Stanley Cup Final rematch between Panthers, Oilers comes close to last year, we're in for a treat Paul Maurice Gives Panthers Massive Compliment Ahead Of Final Ticket prices for Stanley Cup Final start high, keep going up Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck as Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (23) reaches to defend during the first period in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
25 Investigates: Exclusive access inside Holyoke Soldiers' Home 5 years after COVID killed 84 vets
25 Investigates spent years documenting the 'catastrophic' mistakes in care and the lawsuits and criminal charges that were ultimately dismissed. Now, Boston 25 News anchor and investigative reporter Kerry Kavanaugh is taking us for an exclusive look inside the future, new state-run home for veterans. We're also hearing from family members who hope their devastating losses won't be forgotten. It was a Thursday afternoon inside the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Holyoke, formerly the Holyoke Soldiers Home. The mood was as light as the balloons residents were tossing as part of a physical activity. For residents like U.S. Navy veteran Roger Cote, community means everything when home becomes a place like this. 'Never thought in my life I would look forward to bingo,' the 77-year-old Cote told Kavanaugh. 'You know how you make an old lady swear? Call bingo before she does.' 'People are great. I mean, if you need anything, they're there for you,' said 83-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran, Bob Aucoin. But days in Holyoke here weren't always so light. 'The COVID changed a lot of things. Big time,' said Cote. Cote and Auchoin survived the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic inside the building. 'I was bedridden for a while and I didn't think I'd ever walk again, but they got me going, said Auchoin. But 84 fellow veteran residents lost their lives during the spring of 2020. It was chaos marred by questionable medical decisions like consolidating patient rooms, in particular two dementia units, and shutting off the home to families and leaving them with little to no communication. 'I think my goal coming into this position was to really make sure that something that happened during COVID would never ever happen again,' said John Santiago the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services. 'It's incredibly important. These are veterans who have given their life to service, who care so much about the community, about this home. I mean, this is an iconic institution for Western Mass, and that's what I've learned over the past couple of years.' Santiago wasn't in this role in 2020, but he was on the frontlines of the pandemic as an emergency room doctor in Boston. In an exclusive interview with 25 Investigates, Santiago, a veteran himself said change had to start with the culture at the top. 'Meeting with staff, nurses, providers, CNAs, veterans, their families to let them I don't know that. I'm here with you. I see you. I hear you,' Santiago said. There were also some basic updates long overdue. The Soldiers' Home was operating with paper charts in 2020. Now medical records are digital. The home became licensed by the state Department of Public Health last year opening it up to state inspections. 'We are not yet CMS certified, but we've had our survey. Our plans of corrections have been accepted. Our desk audit has been approved. So, CMS has asked us to update our application with some new signatures, and then we should be good to go,' said Michael Lazzo, the home's executive director. 'Never in a hundred years would I think I'd be sitting in the seat I am today,' Lazzo said. Lazzo first came to the home March 30th, 2020, with the Massachusetts National Guard. They were the relief for overworked and sick staff members. He says in his new role he has witnessed a successful transformation. 'I think it's a success story. I think we've come tremendously far. Our team is unbelievable. I'm probably the luckiest guy in the world with the people I have working here.' Families say they can feel the difference. 'They're involving the veterans. Like they have a town hall meeting,' said Sandy. She asked that we not use her last name. But the western Massachusetts woman says her husband, a Vietnam veteran also survived the outbreak, and he still lives at the home today. 'I think it makes them feel like they have say,' she said. Sandy also said she felt her husband got great care even in during the toughest times. 'The love, the care, and the family feeling that's here, you don't get in most places,' she said. 'I think the new building is the biggest honor we can give to those that we lost.' Construction continues up on the hill in Holyoke for what will become the new Massachusetts Veterans Home at Holyoke. 25 Investigates got an exclusive look inside the building where 234 residents will live here. 212 will have single occupancy rooms. The design meant to be more open, more communal and the individual rooms more like home. A great room will open to a terrace overlooking the hills. 'He would have been proud. I wish he had lived to see it. I think that it would be nice for the families to see,' said Cheryl Turgeon. Her dad Dennis Turgeon was a Korean War veteran. He survived the initial wave of COVID-19 but was sick. He died about six months after the initial outbreak. 'He really suffered, he didn't, he ever walked. He lost 30 pounds, he became depressed,' he said. Turgeon said her father was never the same. 'We do learn after the fact and it's those things that hurt the most,' Cheryl Maladrino's father-in-law Harry Maladrinos died that spring. He served in Korea in the Navy and died just shy of his 90th birthday. 'We just need not to forget what happened there because we can't let it happen again,' said Maladrinos. 'They were willing to put their lives on the line for all of us and they deserve our best care.' 'This building that that's happening on here, the infrastructure, it's great. Fancy walls, new amenities. That's awesome,' Santiago said. 'But it's the people that make the building run. I'm not suggesting that mission is accomplished by any means, but there's been a serious transformation here and that's because of the leadership of the staff here. Working in collaboration with the veterans and their families,' 'That is our hope, that's our future,' said family member, Sandy. The future in a new home where the Massachusetts renewed commitment to its veterans can be fulfilled. It is slated to open in the fall of 2026. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
