NEW HAVEN — Lucy Ballester, the owner of Soap-Edi on Chapel Street in New Haven, said she initially wanted the stretch of the road between in front of her shop to open to two-way traffic.
Northeast
Bullied NJ student's family sues school officials who 'created culture of violence' before girl's suicide
This story may contain details that are disturbing. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
The bullying that Adriana Kuch endured in a New Jersey school that allegedly “created a culture of violence” continued at home until she took her own life, her family alleges in a lawsuit.
Kuch was a 14-year-old student in the Central Regional School District when she died by suicide at her home Feb. 3, 2023, two days after a video of her hallway assault went viral.
During Adriana’s funeral Feb. 10, Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides, who has since resigned, allegedly made “defamatory” statements to reporters about Kuch’s dad having an affair. He said that led to Adriana’s mom’s suicide, and then he leaked Adriana’s mental health struggles to the press, the lawsuit alleges.
NEW JERSEY STUDENT ENDS HER LIFE AFTER MONTHS OF BULLYING, VIDEO OF SCHOOL HALLWAY BEATING CIRCULATES ONLINE
Adriana Kuch’s father is seeking justice after her suicide. (Michael Kuch)
Instead of protecting Adriana from “known” bullies, the New Jersey district officials’ “egregious” actions were “willful, wanton, reckless, intentional, malicious and in utter disregard” for the Kuch family, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
The Central Regional School District did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Kuch was brutalized by a pack of students in a hallway, while at least one other student filmed the vicious surprise assault and uploaded the video to social media, where it quickly spread.
NJ STUDENT BULLIED LIKE ADRIANA KUCH A YEAR BEFORE TEEN’S SUICIDE AFTER SCHOOL ASSAULT FILMED: LAWSUIT
The attackers allegedly punched Adriana in the face, pulled her hair, hit her with a water bottle and kicked her while onlooking students laughed and egged on her assailants.
The physical toll was obvious, as pictures of what appeared to be bruises covered her body. She sustained bruising, swelling, cuts and lacerations to ther head, face, body and legs, according to the lawsuit.
But the avalanche of hateful comments, shame and mockery that followed the teenager was worse. Her father found his daughter had hanged herself in her bedroom overnight Feb. 2-3.
A 14-year-old New Jersey high school student died by suicide after video was posted online of a group of girls attacking her. (Michael Kuch)
William Krais, Kuch’s family lawyer, said Adriana’s dad, Michael Kuch, and his family went through “so much heartache and tragedy already.”
“The gross negligence of school officials, followed by the superintendent’s cruel, insensitive and defamatory remarks only compound their pain,” Krais said in a statement. “It is the defendants’ job to provide a safe and secure environment for the students at Central Regional High School.
“They catastrophically failed Adriana, leading to the emotional distress, humiliation and embarrassment that ultimately caused her to take her own life. It’s high time the school and those involved are held accountable for their actions.”
ADRIANA KUCH DEATH: NJ COUNTY PROSECUTOR MET WITH SCHOOL OFFICIALS AFTER BULLIED TEEN TOOK HER LIFE
Adriana Kuch, who was bullied in Central Regional High School in New Jersey and died by suicide. (Michael Kuch)
The sweeping civil lawsuit, filed Jan. 29 in Ocean County court, named the Central Regional School District, former superintendent Parlapanides, the school board, the high school principal and assistant principal and several district officials who served a number of anti-bullying leadership roles.
The legal action demands a jury trial and unspecified punitive damages.
WATCH: SCHOOL BOARD ERUPTS AFTER ADRIANA KUCH’S SUICIDE
Adriana’s suicide and the video of the bullies’ attack ignited a fury in the community.
One by one, her friends and parents of other students who packed a school board meeting, yelled at school board members and district officials about a culture of bullying that they say has been ongoing for years.
There’s a lawsuit against the school district for a nearly identical hallway attack on another student that was recorded and uploaded to social media.
“I had a student that came into the district happy and healthy. He didn’t require doctors or psychiatric help, who now is medicated,” one parent said during the meeting.
“We’re hurting. They’re hurting. My daughter comes home, and she’s scared. And she doesn’t want to go to school,” another parent said as she choked back tears.
Read the full article from Here
Continue Reading
Connecticut
New Haven’s Chapel Street shift from one-way to two-way traffic brings confusion, concerns
Pedestrians dash across Chapel Street where a new two-way traffic pattern has opened between College and York Streets in New Haven, Conn., Thursday, April 23, 2026.
She thought the change would bring more customers to her business, which sells bath bombs, soaps and lotions.
Article continues below this ad
“Now it’s kind of harder for them to get here,” Ballester said, who has been in the space for four years.
Chapel Street, between College Street and York Street, was converted from one-way traffic to two-way traffic starting April 20. The change is part of a broader effort to improve the safety of Chapel Street, one of New Haven’s longest, busiest and most crash-prone arteries.
Chapel Street goes through at least seven neighborhoods stretching from Fair Haven in the east through Mill River, Wooster Square, Downtown, Dwight and Edgewood, West River and Westville.
On April 23, though, New Haven crossing guards manned crosswalks, guiding pedestrians across the street and stopping traffic. Police officers sat in cars on the corners of Chapel Street where traffic change happened to make sure people weren’t driving in the wrong lane.
Article continues below this ad
One police officer said he saw 10 people drive in the wrong lane on April 22. By around 11:50 a.m. on April 23, he said he saw four people who drove in the wrong lane. He added a fifth one just moments later when a blue pickup truck turned from College Street into the wrong lane on Chapel Street.
The police officer laid on the horn at the driver.
Ballester said there’s more traffic and it is more difficult to get to and leave her shop. She also said her customers said they have to park further away to get to her. She lives in Hamden and usually Ubers to her store or she’ll sometimes drive with her husband.
“I literally don’t even want to deal with it,” Ballester said.
Article continues below this ad
Ballester said she lost parking spots in front of her store to a loading space, where a truck was unloading food on April 23.
“(The traffic) just makes the drivers angry,” Ballester said. “Just makes everybody upset.”
Balester said before there was “flow” and the cars were moving more, but now the street is congested.
Bryn McGuire, who lives in Clinton and drives to New Haven to attend classes at Gateway Community College, said the street seems “more calm” than he remembered it being. He said he’s been visiting New Haven for more than 20 years now.
Article continues below this ad
“That’s what I’d certainly like to see if it makes it more convenient to get around here, that’s great,” McGuire said. “But I think it’s very much a wait and see.”
He said he wanted to see more pedestrian infrastructure, such as bike lanes.
Plans call for Chapel Street, which already is a two-way street from Fair Haven to College Street, eventually to be open to two-way traffic all the way to Ellsworth Avenue, where it currently becomes two-way as it crosses Ella T. Grasso Boulevard into Westville.
The announcement came just over a year and a half after New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, joined by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, announced an $11 million federal grant for the “Chapel Street Safe Streets Project.”
Article continues below this ad
At the time of the announcement, nearly 900 accidents had taken place over four years along Chapel Street between State Street and Ella T. Grasso Boulevard, including three fatalities and 18 serious injuries, according to the University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Crash Data Repository, officials said at the time.
This story includes reporting by staff writer Mark Zaretsky.
1. South Portland
South Portland has won the past two Class A outdoor track and field championships — and the most recent indoor title — with a similar recipe. The Red Riots have had one or two individuals who can win events, sometimes multiple events, and then lots of quality depth. They appear to have the same combo working this spring, and that’s why they’re the favorites to three-peat. Bossay Ditanduka emerged this winter as one of the state’s top sprinters. He’s a top-three contender in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump. Devin Berry is Class A’s top returning 110-meter hurdler. Michael Lawlor, a senior, has been a key component to each championship as an 800-meter specialist (third at indoor states this winter) and relay runner. Coach Dave Kahill expects points to come in the hurdles from Caleb Ramsell (also a high jumper and triple jumper), Isaac Arey and Gabe Babineau. Ramsell and Arey were fifth and sixth in the indoor hurdles. Ambrosio Mputu (third indoors in 55), Jared LaRose (also high jump and pole vault), Lamed Khelendende and Remy Kiala add sprint depth. Senior race walker Folsom Lamer and junior Anthony Nielsen (sixth indoors in 800) are scoring threats. Lewiston is South Portland’s highest-rated challenger.
2. Portland
The Bulldogs were fifth last year in Class A and graduated some top performers, like 1,600-meter champ Aran Johnson. It’s unlikely this year’s team will have an individual state champion, but it does have seven returners who have placed at a state meet in Brinelle Kubelo (sixth in 110 hurdles), Aziz Mohamed (fifth outdoors and indoors in 400), Liam Alexander (fifth indoors and outdoors in 800), Owen Blades (seventh outdoors in 800), Cordell Jones (fourth in high jump), Ben Mbongo (eighth indoors and outdoors in long jump), and Griffin Lavertu (1,600 relay). Coach Frank Myatt thinks freshman Josh Muanda (fourth indoors in 400) will be a factor in the sprints. The 3,200 relay team won the event indoors and is the defending outdoor champ.
3. Greely
Coach David Dowling points out that the Rangers graduated four multi-event scorers from last year’s team that won the Class B title by 26 points over Lincoln Academy. So a runaway win probably won’t happen, but Greely did claim this year’s indoor crown and has proven returners. Kannon Crocker won the Class B title in 200 and placed in hurdles. Sophomore Jackson Walton was the indoor long jump champ and sixth in the 200. Those two were on Greely’s second-place 400 relay team last spring. Pole vault should also be a strength, with seniors Nate Kim and Camden Wengler, who were third and sixth indoors after placing fifth and sixth outdoors in 2025. Greely showed its depth by winning the indoor 800 relay and placing second in the 3,200 relay.
4. Bonny Eagle
Deering and Gorham are also in the Class A mix to be a top-five team, but we give a slight edge to the Scots’ well-rounded quality. Junior sprinter Drew Gervais is a threat to win both the 100 and 200, with the top time among returnees in both events. Junior shot putter Wyatt Cyr is coming off a second-place showing indoors with a best throw over 53 feet. He will also compete in discus. Senior Caden Cooper has the third-best returning Class A time in the 300 hurdles. Sophomore Ben Havu is an emerging talent in the javelin (No. 2 Class A returner) and triple jump. Dom Metayer (race walk) and Parker Moore (800 and 1,600) are also scoring threats. The sprint relays look strong. Hurdles and jumps are an area to improve.
5. Freeport
The Falcons placed fifth in Class B last spring and second at this winter’s indoor championship. While Greely’s strength is in the sprints, the Falcons have an excellent distance program led by senior Alex Gilbert, who will likely run the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at the state meet and place in the top three in each — with wins possible at the longer distances. Junior Ian Guzman won the 800 indoors. Brady Webber is a likely scorer in the hurdles and high jump. Tyler Burns was fifth in the indoor triple jump. Senior Jack Brogan is new to outdoor track after placing third in the indoor 400. Senior Dietrick Schulz qualified for states and finished in the top 12 in both shot put and discus last spring.
Technology
A new report estimates 7.35% of jobs in Massachusetts are at risk of displacement from artificial intelligence, the highest share in the nation.
A new Tufts University study finds that Massachusetts is the most vulnerable state in the nation to job disruption from artificial intelligence — a shift researchers say could reshape the state’s workforce and economy.
The report, “Will Wired Belts Become the New Rust Belts? AI and the Emerging Geography of American Job Risk,” released in March, estimates that 7.35% of jobs in Massachusetts are at risk of displacement in the near term due to artificial intelligence, the highest among U.S. states. Boston, one of the nation’s leading innovation hubs, is also among the most exposed cities, with an estimated $20 billion in annual income losses tied to AI-driven job disruption.
“The jobs loss will be among more educated, typically higher-paying jobs,” said Christina Filipovic, head of research at Digital Planet, the research center at Tufts’ Fletcher School that completed the study. That distinction marks a stark departure from past waves of automation, which primarily displaced lower-wage, manual labor workers.
Which jobs are most at risk?
The report finds that AI exposure — or how much AI tools can reach or influence a job — is highest in occupations centered around data, analytical or language-based skills, and cognition — the same kinds of knowledge work that dominate Boston’s economy.
AI job vulnerability, by comparison, goes a step further: it measures how likely AI exposure will lead to job loss or major restructuring.
Highly vulnerable roles in Greater Boston include: software developers, market research analysts and marketing specialists, management analysts, and customer service representatives. Software developers alone could see more than 12,700 jobs affected in the Greater Boston region.
Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at The Fletcher School, describes the moment as a paradox: “The occupations that are seeing the greatest productivity boosts are also the occupations that are seeing the greatest job risk, and Boston is high in all those areas,” he said.
“Boston is really interesting. It’s almost a Petri dish for how AI is going to increase productivity and also potentially change the way people do work and maybe displace a certain proportion of people,” Chakravorti said.
On the other end, jobs least exposed to AI include roles like cement masons and concrete finishers, cooks, ship engineers, and ambulance drivers — positions that rely more on physical labor than cognitive tasks.
Why Massachusetts stands out
Researchers point to the structure of Massachusetts’ economy as a key reason for its high exposure. The state’s concentration of universities, tech firms, and innovation mean a large share of workers are employed in highly educated, knowledge-based roles susceptible to AI.
“In addition to the high education levels, Boston in particular is such an innovative city … a lot of the tech industry that’s in the area makes Massachusetts a bit more vulnerable,” Filipovic said.
Chakravorti added that the region’s role as a hub for education and research puts it at the center of the transition.
“Boston right now is at the cutting edge of figuring out how much AI to use in the classroom in order to prepare students for jobs that are going to include and involve AI,” he said.
A warning sign for the nation
The implications of AI’s arrival extend far beyond Massachusetts.
The report estimates that nationwide, between 9.3 million and 19.5 million jobs are at risk of being replaced by AI, with up to $1.5 trillion in annual income loss.
The report identified a group of “Wired Belt” regions — including cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta and Phoenix — that could face similar job disruptions.
“In many ways, Boston is a canary in the coal mine, and we’ll see similar things playing out in knowledge-intensive cities,” Chakravorti said.
The researchers say the goal of the report is not just to measure risk, but to prompt legislative and societal action.
“What we were most curious about was the nature of job loss … and then also to help policymakers at various levels figure out what the best path is forward,” Filipovic said.
Chakravorti was more blunt about the urgency for the city and state to meet the moment.
“We are watching this hurricane hit us … and we are largely sitting on our hands in terms of doing something about it,” he said.
Is your job vulnerable to AI?
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
-
Alaska6 minutes agoDemocratic U.S. House PAC has Alaska in its sights
-
Arizona12 minutes agoArizona Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #25: 4/23 vs. White Sox
-
Arkansas18 minutes ago$40 million steel processing plant planned for Osceola, developers say
-
California24 minutes agoDozens of Mexican mafia members arrested in California
-
Colorado30 minutes ago
Federal judge orders release of family of man charged in Colorado firebomb attack
-
Connecticut36 minutes agoNew Haven’s Chapel Street shift from one-way to two-way traffic brings confusion, concerns
-
Delaware42 minutes agoDelaware State football player sues DeSean Jackson, school after alleged locker room assault
-
Florida48 minutes agoFlorida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Fantasy 5 results for April 22, 2026
