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New Hampshire teen reels in 177-pound halibut, could set record

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New Hampshire teen reels in 177-pound halibut, could set record

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A 13-year-old New Hampshire boy hauled in the catch of a lifetime this week, a massive 177-pound Atlantic halibut that outweighed him and could set a new junior world record.

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Jackson Denio, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 120 pounds, set out on an overnight deep-sea fishing trip with about 30 other people off Cashes Ledge, a fishing ground off the New England Coast. He caught the fish on Monday morning.

“I think I screamed, honestly,” Denio told The Associated Press. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I was very excited.”

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Catching a halibut in New England is rare, Denio said, because the fish are more commonly found in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

Jackson Denio, left, stands with a 177-pound halibut he caught Sept. 2. (Jill Denio via AP)

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“Halibut this size is like a once-in-a-lifetime fish catching in the Atlantic,” he added. 

By Monday, those aboard Al Gauron’s Deep Sea Fishing and Whale Watching boat had caught plenty of pollock and other fish when Denio told them he wanted to catch a shark. 

He dropped his hook, which was baited with pollock, and, soon after, the line pulled straight down — a telltale sign of halibut.

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“The line was pretty much straight up and down the whole fight, which usually means a halibut,” Denio recalled. “A shark kind of would run up and to the side a little bit, but it was straight up and down. … That’s the way they swim. They move their head and their tail and whack it hard.”

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Footage from the trip (see video at top) shows the crew cheering as Denio fought the fish for about 30 minutes before finally tiring it out.

Jackson Denio set out to catch a shark and reeled in a massive Atlantic halibut instead.  (Jill Denio via AP)

“He did not let go once,” said Jim Walsh, the captain of the boat. “He never let anybody else touch the rod.” 

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“We looked and went, ‘Oh my God, look what it is,’” Walsh said.

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“It was great,” he added. “We were all ecstatic.”

The fish was officially weighed, photographed and then carved up.

Denio’s family plans to file an application with the International Game Fish Association under the junior record for Atlantic halibut and under another class that includes all fish.

Denio’s family is filing the catch with the International Game Fish Association. (Jill Denio via AP)

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His mother, Jill Denio, said the family, which is from Hampton, New Hampshire, didn’t know what to think when her son told them he might have caught a record-breaking fish.

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Then, they saw the “monstrosity” of it, she said. “For a kid his size to be able to bring in a 170-something-pound fish is, you know, pretty awesome.”

Atlantic halibut are the largest flatfish in the world and can reach weights of well over 600 pounds. 

Denio believes his catch is 20 pounds larger than the existing record, and now he’s aiming to beat his personal best.

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“It makes me want to keep fishing even more and try and beat the record if I can,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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New Hampshire

High winds, heavy rains lead to scattered NH outages

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High winds, heavy rains lead to scattered NH outages


High winds and widespread rain contributed to more than 12,000 power outages Saturday as a low pressure system passes over New Hampshire.

A high wind advisory remains in effect for southeastern New Hampshire until midday.

There is a high surf advisory in effect for the Seacoast area until 8 p.m. Saturday, with large-breaking waves in the range of 6-9 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast warns of dangerous wintry winds for hikers and campers, with heavy wet snow likely at higher elevations and a foot of snow possible on summits in the White Mountains.

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In southeastern New Hampshire, the wind advisory calls for steady winds of 15-25 mph, and potential wind gusts up to 50 mph.

Eversource reported over 10,000 outages as of 9:30 a.m. Unitil had about 1,400 outages at that time.

The Mount Washington Observatory has recorded winterlike weather over the past 24 hours. Weather observers there say over half a foot of snow and sleet has fallen at the summit.

The Mount Washington Observatory reported Saturday morning that half a foot of sleet and snow was recorded in the past w4 hours at the summit.





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New Jersey

Dueling protests face off at New Jersey ICE detention center over detainee conditions

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Dueling protests face off at New Jersey ICE detention center over detainee conditions


Tensions rose at a Newark, New Jersey, immigration detention center on Saturday as a group of pro-ICE protesters faced off with demonstrators who have maintained a presence outside the facility for more than a week in support of detainees who they say are enduring inhumane conditions inside.

Saturday morning’s protests outside the Delaney Hall facility saw a heavy police presence, including a group of officers with riot shields blocking the entrance. At one point, a group of federal agents, some carrying long guns, and an armored vehicle were stationed outside.

Protest outside Delaney Hall detention center, in Newark.
Barriers separate anti-ICE protesters from pro-ICE demonstrators outside the Delaney Hall detention center, in Newark, N.J., on Saturday.Caitlin Ochs / Reuters

A day earlier, New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that the state would establish a protected peaceful protest zone outside the facility, citing safety concerns following protests in Minneapolis earlier this year where federal agents killed two American citizens.

Sherrill said Saturday that she was “grateful to the vast majority of protesters who have assembled peacefully and raised their voices about Delaney Hall’s conditions.” She reiterated calls to “keep the temperature down” following the arrest of six people outside the facility late Friday night after protesters failed to follow police orders to disperse. The governor said five of the six arrested were from out of state.

“To the people coming from out of state to create chaos and dangerous situations, you should not be here,” she said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. “You are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall. You’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe.”

Sherrill’s announcement followed days of tensions outside the Delaney Hall facility over allegations of abysmal conditions and the use of violence against detainees, which the Department of Homeland Security denies. Nine people demonstrating in support of detainees were arrested Thursday following clashes with ICE officers.

Shouting matches between protesters

The atmosphere on Saturday was tense but peaceful. Police set up fencing to establish protest areas and separate the groups. Later, police officers blocking the entrance to the facility were seen without riot gear.

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Protesters rallying in support of immigrants inside the facility banged on drums and chanted, “Shut down Delaney Hall, free them all!” and “Shut this racist system down!”

Some held signs saying “ICE OUT NOW,” and a group of healthcare workers held signs reading “Doctor against deportations” and “Health care worker against deportations.”

Many of the demonstrators have said they were protesting what they described as unsafe and inhumane conditions inside Delaney Hall.

Ashley Kussman said she was protesting for the detainees who were being held “in cruel conditions and who are being abused by our government and by a private corporation acting for our government,” referring to DHS and GEO Group, the private company that runs the facility.

“I am very worried for the state of our country,” she told The Associated Press. “I support the Constitution. I support democracy and I support the freedom to speak, the freedom to gather, the freedom to live without having to worry that you’re going to get kidnapped off the street by somebody in a mask and a uniform.”

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Separated by fencing, the group of pro-ICE protesters held American flags and chanted, “USA, USA.”

They held signs that read “Make America Great Again” and “Support ICE.”

An anti-ICE protesters holds a sign opposing a line of New Jersey State Police.
An anti-ICE protesters holds a sign opposing a line of New Jersey State Police.Julian Leshay Guadalupe / USA Today Network via Imagn Images

“We’re here basically to support ICE and the situations and the dealings that they’re unfortunately coming about. They’re just trying to do their jobs,” protester Michael, who declined to give his last name, told the AP.

“These officers are just under crazy scrutiny,” he said. “They just go out every day to risk their lives on the line and make sure that we make it home safe.”

Some protesters shouted across the fencing at each other.

“For days, we’ve heard reports of unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional conditions there,” Sherrill said at a news conference Friday. “We’ve seen increasing violence, arrest and pepper spray at Delaney Hall, as well as public threats from the Trump administration, and we’ve seen the risk to public safety rising outside of Delaney Hall.”

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Delaney Hall protest.
New Jersey State Police arrive with barricades on Saturday.David Dee Delgado / Getty Images

DHS said on social media Saturday that ICE agents had “been bitten and faced death threats and assaults from violent rioters in New Jersey.” The agency thanked New Jersey law enforcement.

DHS and GEO Group did not respond to NBC News’ requests for comment on Saturday.

Regarding allegations of violence against the detainees inside the facility, GEO Group said in a statement Friday that staff responded to a “physical altercation involving detainees at Delaney Hall” on Thursday and that, in accordance with its policies, staff used “control measures to safely resolve the situation, including the limited use of chemical agents.”

The company added that its response was “carried out in strict adherence to federal standards and comprehensive training,” and that affected detainees were evaluated by on-site medical personnel and “were cleared with no serious injuries.”

GEO Group also said it categorically rejected what it called “baseless accusations” against the facility, which it said were “politically motivated,” adding that its services are monitored by ICE and DHS.

It said its support services include “around-the-clock access to medical care,” dietitian-approved meals, religious and specialty diets and access to medical care, the statement said.

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Another night of tension

The protests remained tense on Friday night. As police erected protest barriers, ICE agents who had formed a line in front of protesters moved inside the building’s perimeter fence, according to NBC New York. New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz said ICE officers agreed to stand down as state police assumed responsibility.

Demonstrators had mixed reactions to the barriers. Some staged a sit-in and refused to move into one of the new protest areas police established using metal barriers and concrete blocks.

Around 10 p.m. on Friday night, a large team of state police carrying riot shields moved on protesters after reportedly giving those outside the facility a 15-minute warning.

Delaney Hall protest.
Pro-ICE supporters outside Delaney HallDavid Dee Delgado / Getty Images

Police began pushing the group of protesters back and deployed pepper spray. Moments after the chaos unfolded, police approached a marked WNBC news vehicle parked near the commotion and ordered the crew to exit the car into the cloud of tear gas.

Sierotowicz said at the news conference alongside the governor on Saturday that authorities spent several hours the previous night directing protesters to move to a designated area.

After some protesters failed to comply, police issued dispersal orders at 15-, 10- and 5-minute intervals, he said.

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“During these announcements, agitators surrounded a marked enforcement vehicle car and made threats towards personnel, creating immediate safety concerns due to escalating safety risks,” he said.

Sierotowicz said some protesters “were observed retrieving face coverings, gas masks, fireworks, rocks, and other projectiles” and a public safety response team was deployed to move the crowd away from the area and create “safe passage for personnel with no significant injuries to the public or law enforcement.”

The ACLU of New Jersey said Saturday that the protests at the facility “have been overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations of people exercising their constitutional right to call out the inhumanity of the immigration detention and deportation system.”

“New Jersey’s response must prioritize the safety and well-being of people — not mimic the dangerous and overly militarized tactics of the federal government,” John Butler, the political director of the ACLU of New Jersey, said in a statement. “The New Jersey State Police’s actions against protesters at Delaney Hall were an unnecessary response to free speech and the right to peaceful protest.”

“The real harm we’re facing isn’t from peaceful protests, but from the rampant ICE raids tearing apart our communities, the brutality of the immigration detention system, and the retaliation and excessive force being used against detainees, observers, journalists, and protesters,” he said.

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Pennsylvania

Man accused of using excavator to destroy home with family inside

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Man accused of using excavator to destroy home with family inside


Court records show a man is facing numerous charges after local news outlets reported he was accused of partially demolishing his Pennsylvania home with members of his family still inside.

Erik Pierwsza, 48, is charged with three counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count each of causing a catastrophe and disorderly conduct, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY.

According to local media outlet WTAE, Pierwsza allegedly destroyed a portion of his home with an excavator, while his wife and two children were inside. Pierwsza is a resident of Buffalo Township, roughly 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

The Buffalo Township Police Department did not immediately return USA TODAY’s request for more information. Court records did not list representation for Pierwsza and noted that he is not currently represented by a public defender.

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According to a criminal complaint reported on by WTAE and WPXI, Pierswza had allegedly got into an argument, at which point Pierswza threatened to tear down the house.

He then allegedly climbed into the excavator and began demolishing the home, per the outlets.

According to WPXI, no one was injured.

Pierwsza is being held at Butler County Prison on $10,000 bond, per court documents.

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Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.



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