Broken handrail, rehabilitated bird, beach volleyball, medical news, more – San Diego Union-Tribune
Broken handrail to be privately repaired A missing handrail next to a stairway on Prospect Street will be privately replaced in coming months. The handrail was removed after a tourist visiting La Jolla from out of state suffered minor injuries last month when the handrail broke from its base and gave way, causing the man […]
A missing handrail next to a stairway on Prospect Street will be privately replaced in coming months.
The handrail was removed after a tourist visiting La Jolla from out of state suffered minor injuries last month when the handrail broke from its base and gave way, causing the man to fall.
The broken handrail was removed, and the handrail on the other side of the stairs remains.
Originally, San Diego city spokesman Anthony Santacroce said the city of San Diego would be “making interim repairs to the damaged section of the stairs until the city is able to initiate a capital improvement project to construct a new staircase.”
However, later discovering the stairway is on private property — connecting Prospect Street to Coast Boulevard — the city stepped back from the replacement project.
Soon after, property owner Don Allison confirmed to the La Jolla Light that the handrail would be replaced by his property management team. A schedule was not immediately available.
Rehabilitated bird found at Torrey Pines beach released back into the wild
A loon that was found at Torrey Pines State Beach covered in tar was rehabilitated and returned to the wild this month.
A loon that was rescued from Torrey Pines State Beach is returned to the wild after being rehabilitated at SeaWorld. (SeaWorld)
The loon was unable to stay warm or fly, and SeaWorld San Diego’s rescue team took it to its Oiled Wildlife Care Center, where the team stabilized the bird with hydration, feeding and multiple washes to remove the tar.
After a month of care, the loon regained its strength and was ready to return to its natural habitat.
La Jolla Country Day wins beach volleyball league title
The rivalry between Santa Fe Christian and La Jolla Country Day School was renewed last week with the Coastal League beach volleyball championship at stake.
La Jolla Country Day’s Ria Loomba plays the ball against Santa Fe Christian on April 23. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Torreys were dominant on their home sand April 23, winning all five matches against the Eagles.
Four matches were completed in straight sets and the other went three sets.
The Torreys improved to 15-3 overall and 7-0 in league play.
Drug being researched for possible role to treat brain tumors
Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in childhood, and the deadliest of these tumors are known as high-grade gliomas, with the grade referring to how quickly certain tumors grow and spread throughout the central nervous system.
Recently, scientists from an international team that includes the Chavez Lab at La Jolla-based Sanford Burnham Prebys and many other institutions published findings in Cancer Cell indicating that the drug avapritinib may be effective against certain brain tumor cells.
Sanford Burnham Prebys in La Jolla participated in a study indicating that the drug avapritinib may be effective against certain brain tumor cells. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Notably, the drug was found to be one of the rare few that can cross the blood-brain barrier known to prevent the passage of more than 98% of small molecule drugs.
Avapritinib is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating gastrointestinal and other cancers. With more research, it may be possible to repurpose avapritinib to treat high-grade gliomas, the researchers say.
Genetically modified crops studied for carbon sequestration
UC San Diego researchers say genetically enhanced crops of plants featuring enlarged roots present an opportunity for society to achieve a drawdown of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
A new study from scientists at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and School of Global Policy and Strategy compares this potential agricultural solution to other proposed methods of carbon dioxide removal as a way of showing what needs to happen to address climate change on a global scale.
Scientists contributing to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report estimated that if society is to have a chance at counteracting global CO2 emissions, it must find a way to remove 5-16 billion tons of the greenhouse gas every year. That would need to be done in addition to stopping or substantially slowing how much greenhouse gas continues to be added to the atmosphere daily.
Failure to do this in a timely manner puts the planet at risk of experiencing catastrophic changes in weather, crop failures and spread of diseases, according to the report.
Following an analysis, so-called carbon-enhanced crops could, within 13 years of first adoption, remove 0.9 to 1.2 gigatons annually, the research team said. That is about seven times more than all CO2 offsets supplied today to the global market.
New potential treatment for high blood pressure being explored
Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine recently identified a potential new treatment for people with uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure.
The study, published in the April 23 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, was designed to “look at the impact of a novel medication in lowering blood pressure for individuals whose hypertension is inadequately controlled by current standard medications,” said Dr. Michael Wilkinson, principal investigator for the study and a cardiologist at UC San Diego Health.
A 3D illustration depicts a human heart and an artery with high blood pressure, or hypertension. (Getty Images)
The study determined that clinical trial participants taking a new drug called lorundrostat experienced a 15-point reduction in systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, compared with a seven-point reduction for patients who received a placebo.
Being able to reduce pressure by 15 points, Wilkinson said, could be clinically significant, especially for those on the more extreme side of the scale.
“We would expect that being able to help these patients achieve safer blood pressure levels will make a significant difference in helping them to avoid heart attacks and strokes,” Wilkinson said.
This marked the second phase of the effort and was done in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic Coordinating Center for Clinical Research. Researchers say their next step is a larger third-phase trial of the medication.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypertension affects about 120 million people across the United States, nearly half of all adults, and is considered the leading cause of heart disease in the country. Usually, high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms.
Read the full study at nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2501440.
La Jolla immunologist named to Academy of Arts and Sciences
Immunologist Shane Crotty, a professor and chief scientific officer at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Crotty was elected in recognition of his leadership in immune system research and his breakthroughs in understanding fundamental aspects of how the immune system works.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock and a group of other American leaders to promote research and learning. Since then, elected members have included John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Jonas Salk.
Crotty joined the LJI faculty in 2003. His research has been considered critical for understanding how the immune system’s T cells and B cells work together to fight pathogens such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Crotty also is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology and has been honored by the American Association of Immunologists for outstanding career contributions to B cell biology.
In addition to research, Crotty has dedicated his career to mentoring early-career scientists and to public outreach.
He says the goals of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences hold deep meaning for him.
“It’s an honor to join an organization with a mission to serve — to advance health and quality of life,” Crotty said. “That really resonates with me.”
Researchers find higher risk of death for children with liver disease
A recently published study on children diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, says they are at high risk of premature death or serious health complications.
The Longitudinal InVestigation Evaluating Results of Steatosis, or LIVERS, study followed 1,096 children over an average span of 8½ years, according to UC San Diego Health Sciences. Researchers found their mortality rate “was 40 times higher than that of similar peers in the general U.S. population.”
Jeffrey Schwimmer, a professor of pediatrics at the UCSD School of Medicine and director of the Fatty Liver Clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, put the results into context.
“MASLD poses a real and measurable threat to pediatric health,” he said. “To truly change outcomes, we need better tools to diagnose this disease, treatments that work for children and systems that ensure every child has access to that care.”
MASLD was previously referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. It is the most common chronic liver disease children are affected by, including one-quarter of people with obesity.
The findings were published April 22 in Hepatology, the scientific journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Researchers say the study is the “most comprehensive assessment to date of clinical outcomes in pediatric MASLD.”
La Jolla Loves Pets Foundation announces summer Mutt Strut
From the group that brought you Dog-O-Ween and Santa Paws, the La Jolla Loves Pets Foundation is coming back with the 2025 La Jolla Mutt Strut.
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 22, throughout The Village — beyond the usual meeting place at the La Jolla Recreation Center.
At this year’s Mutt Strut, participants will have the opportunity to solve a pet-themed puzzle with stops at local businesses. Upon completion, a prize will be available at a participating location.
To learn more or register a business, visit lajollalovespets.org.
— Writer Breven Honda and San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Paul Sisson contributed to this report. ♦
Glenbard West boys volleyball defeats Neuqua in straight sets in the Sectional Semis
We have a Sectional semifinal in boys volleyball between the 6-seed Neuqua Valley and 1- seed, Glenbard West. These two have already squared off in April, with West winning in straight sets. The Wildcats seek an upset victory against the Hilltoppers, who’ve finished inside the top three for four consecutive years at the state series. […]
We have a Sectional semifinal in boys volleyball between the 6-seed Neuqua Valley and 1- seed, Glenbard West. These two have already squared off in April, with West winning in straight sets. The Wildcats seek an upset victory against the Hilltoppers, who’ve finished inside the top three for four consecutive years at the state series. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Neuqua Valley opens IHSA Boys Volleyball Sectional Semifinal with 7-4 lead before the Hilltoppers climb back
The Hilltoppers start hot, already leading 4-2 in the first set, until the Wildcats receive some momentum off a Noah Cullen kill to cut the lead down.
The Wildcats respond to Cullen well as Chase Marston sets up Vishwak Naramreddy for the kill, sparking an early wildcat scoring run.
Apart from that, the scoring run includes a Marston ace, which causes the Hilltoppers to take an early timeout. Neuqua leads 7-4.
Coming out of the timeout, the Hilltoppers look for some momentum and get it as Owen Bare sets up Charlie Clifford for the kill, sparking a Hilltopper scoring run.
Neuqua responds quickly with a Marston kill and with an ace by Blake Thompson as the Wildcats hold on to their 13-12 lead.
The two engage in an intense rally, refusing to let up a point until the Wildcats attempt a kill, but are denied at the net by Clifford as the Hilltoppers hold a commanding 18-15 lead.
Set point for the first set, and the Wildcats attempt a kill from Cullen, but it goes out of bounds, the Hilltoppers take set one 25-16.
Glenbard West Boys Volleyball advances to another Sectional Championship
The second set starts similarly to the first set. West gets off to a hot start until Marston provides his team with some energy with a kill as they trail 3-2 early in the second set.
The Wildcats look to keep the offense hot, but are shut down by Clifford for another kill.
Jasti locates Cullen for another wildcat kill, however, they trail 8-5.
The two teams enter another rally, the Wildcat’s just getting it over until Brendan Markey sets up Luke Bachman for the kill, forcing Neuqua to take a timeout.
Post the Wildcat timeout, Henery Truitt sets the tone for the rest of the set by delivering an ace for the Hilltoppers to go up 13-7.
Neuqua looks to stop West’s momentum as Jasti sets up Marston for another kill, but the Wildcats trail 16-9.
Last effort for the wildcats off the serve, however, it’s Owen Bare on the kill for set and match point as West takes the final set 25-17. West takes on the ten-seed Plainfield South in the sectional finals on Tuesday at Hinsdale South at 6 pm.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
Long Beach Poly Girls Take Second At State Finals – The562.org
The562’s cross country and track & field coverage is sponsored by Joe Carlson & Debbie Hughes. The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial. The Long Beach Poly track and field team concluded its season at the CIF State Finals in Clovis on Saturday and took home a second-place finish for the […]
The562’s cross country and track & field coverage is sponsored by Joe Carlson & Debbie Hughes.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
The Long Beach Poly track and field team concluded its season at the CIF State Finals in Clovis on Saturday and took home a second-place finish for the girls.
Despite several setbacks this season, the Jackrabbits still finished as runners-up in CIF and State along with a CIF-SS championship for the boys. The Jackrabbits been riddled with injuries since the Moore League finals and faced a controversial no-call at the CIF finals that left them without a boys’ 4x100m team. The Jackrabbits’ entries have spiraled downward since then, but the Jackrabbits still finish the season with some honorable achievements.
“Anything that could go wrong for our boys and girls teams did go wrong this year,” said Poly coach Crystal Irving. “So the fact that our boys still came out as CIF-SS champs and our girls are second in the state, and then for our boys to set a new school record in the mile relay, it’s amazing. We are so blessed that God has us like He does.”
The Jackrabbits walked away from the meet with a state champion in the girls’ high jump, where Jillene Wetteland finished in a three-way tie and cleared 5 ‘7—an inch higher than her performance at State last year.
“It does feel pretty good [to go out that way],” said Wetteland. “I think this is the highest I’ve gotten at State. I wish I got higher but I think 5 ‘7 is good, especially since it tied me for first.”
It was Wetteland’s last high school meet and last time jumping alongside teammate and fellow senior Joy Anderson. Anderson came in fifth place with a jump of 5 ‘6, but also finished eighth in the 300m hurdles with a 42.39.
Anderson was primarily a basketball player throughout high school but began to take track seriously once she recognized her talent. This year, she added hurdles to her event roster and has exceeded expectations by advancing all the way to State. Her abilities as both a high jumper and hurdler have also attracted attention at the collegiate level.
“I’m just a person who loves learning and I just had so much to learn from track,” Anderson said. “I always want to find a way to improve. This year, it was my first year doing hurdles and I made it this far and I also did better in high jump than last year. I’m super proud of myself.”
The Jackrabbits had another hurdler in sophomore Kadence Bain, who finished sixth in the girls’ 100m hurdles with a time of 13.99. Bain immediately jumped around the finish line in celebration of the mark, which was a new personal record.
“It felt so amazing,” Bain said. “I was so happy to go sub 13 especially as a sophomore. It was a really eye-opening experience for me.”
The Poly boys had just two entries but walked away from the meet with a new school record. Gus Armstrong, Jarrius Hill, Darieon Shufford, and Noah Smith set the new school record in the boys’ 4×400 and ran a 3:08.68.
“I told them that tonight you’re going to chase that school record and leave it on the track,” Irving said of her message to her boys. “That’s what all of them did. They all ran faster and ran beyond themselves. We are very excited to end the night like we did.”
Lynnox Newton was the only individual runner for the Poly boys and finished four in the boys’ 110m hurdles.
Mater Dei Catholic caps dream volleyball season with state championship – San Diego Union-Tribune
It’s hard to define a season, particularly one that ends in a team’s last possible contest. It’s just as hard to pick one moment in time that defines a championship match. But being down 15-12 in the fourth set of Saturday’s CIF State Division 4 Boys Volleyball Championship, there’s little doubt the Mater Dei Catholic […]
It’s hard to define a season, particularly one that ends in a team’s last possible contest.
It’s just as hard to pick one moment in time that defines a championship match.
But being down 15-12 in the fourth set of Saturday’s CIF State Division 4 Boys Volleyball Championship, there’s little doubt the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders will remember the following eight minutes for the rest of their lives.
The Crusaders went on a run for the ages, scoring 13 of the set’s next 14 points to earn a 25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 25-16 win over Livingston at Fresno City College in California’s first-ever state championship for the sport.
“I knew they wanted it just as bad as I did,” coach Marissa Ritchie said. “It’s very hard to coach a team with this dynamic and wanting it. I didn’t have to beg them to come to practice. They had to beg me basically. Open gyms, early mornings, they wanted this. Our goal was CIF, and we did so much more. This is them that they wanted this so bad.”
After winning back-to-back section titles, the goal for Mater Dei Catholic (33-10) became to hang its 12th state championship banner in Bosco Gym. It took a legion of mostly senior leaders to refocus the goal.
Senior outside hitter Oskar Manguy-Meza once again led the way with 14 kills, three aces and two stuff blocks. His kill on a D ball in transition tied the fourth set at 15-15 and marked the fifth spot on the court in which he recorded a kill.
“Watching their offense made me a little nervous at the start, but I had confidence in our back row defense since I know all the practices we’ve done on digging and out-of-system setting,” Manguy-Meza said. “I felt like the confidence we had in each other didn’t bother me as much since they had an athletic offense.”
Senior libero Ethan Bundang had 15 digs to lead the defensive effort.
Senior setter Aaron Wood went to his middles often against the Wolves (37-7), resulting in junior Derek Jacobo finishing second on the team with 10 kills while adding four stuff blocks.
Jacobo and senior Reagan Nicanor combined for five kills in set one as Wood set the middle often in a dominant win. Jacobo’s stuff block on match point ended it.
“Once we started to get that run toward the end, I felt really confident,” Jacobo said. “We just wanted to keep going. We just wanted to finish it. I was just so into that moment like, I want to finish this right now.”
Manguy-Meza and Jacobo combined on a stuff block for a 14-9 lead in the second set. They built a 22-15 lead, then took advantage of several Livingston errors to close it out.
Mater Dei Catholic couldn’t close in the third set. Senior outside hitter Liam Kingston (seven kills) put a ball away to close the gap to five but it wasn’t enough.
That set up the fourth. The Crusaders played from behind and appeared headed to a fifth until the heroics. Some of the highlights after Manguy-Meza’s D kill: two kills by Wood, stuff blocks by Wood and Jacobo, a kill by Jacobo, a rally-ending kill by Kingston and two back-row kills from junior Adrian Trevino, including an improbable roll shot to the deep corner.
The final eight points came with junior Alfredo Ceballos serving.
Championships are won with big plays at big moments but are built through hours of practices and competing. A process essentially two full years in the making — and whittled down to eight minutes — can now finish with a state title.
“We set our goal at the start of the season just to win the San Diego Section,” Kingston said. “Once we saw the brackets came out and saw the No. 1 seed, we had to get to work. We prepared in every way possible. This is an incredible experience.”
USD sprinter punches ticket on final day of NCAA West Prelims
Story Links COLLEGE STATION, Texas –South Dakota’s Sara Reifenrath grabs a ticket to Eugene to highlight the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds for Summit League athletes. North Dakota Jadyn Keeler (5,000 meters), Kenna Curry (discus) and Frida Giersdorff (3,000-meter steeplechase) wrapped up North Dakota’s stay at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Saturday. Keeler came less than three seconds […]
COLLEGE STATION, Texas –South Dakota’s Sara Reifenrath grabs a ticket to Eugene to highlight the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds for Summit League athletes.
North Dakota Jadyn Keeler (5,000 meters), Kenna Curry (discus) and Frida Giersdorff (3,000-meter steeplechase) wrapped up North Dakota’s stay at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Saturday.
Keeler came less than three seconds shy from qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 5,000 meters and finished 14th in 16:04.12. The final qualifying spot in her heat went to Zofia Dudek of Stanford with a time of 16:01.80. By competing in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA West Regional, Keeler became the first athlete in school history to compete in the event at the regional.
On Thursday night, Keeler punched her ticket to the national championship meet in the 10,000 meters and had the fifth-fastest time (34:07.67) at the meet. By qualifying for nationals, she became the first women’s distance runner in UND’s Division I history to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Curry finished 29th in the discus with a toss of 170-9 (52.05m). She is just the fifth Hawk on the women’s team to compete in the event at the NCAA West Regional and her throw was good for the second-furthest throw at the meet in school history, trailing only Destine Rose-Haas’ throw of 176-0 (53.65m) in 2021. By throwing the discus on Saturday, Curry became the first athlete in school history to throw the discus, hammer and shot put all at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in the same year.
The thrower from Elk Point, S.D., qualified for the NCAA Championships on Thursday in the hammer throw with a toss of 208-2 (63.44m) at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. By qualifying for the NCAA Championships, Curry became the second UND thrower to qualify for the meet in UND’s Division I history, joining Molli Detloff, who competed at the national meet in the hammer throw in both 2017 (sixth) and 2019 (12th). On Thursday evening, Curry returned to the E.B. Cushing Stadium to take part in the shot put, where she finished 24th with a throw of 51-3 (15.62m).
Curry came into the meet on Saturday as the No. 40 seed in the discus and qualified for the regional with her toss of 172-2 (52.48m) at the USD Tune-Up. Her throw at that meet won the event crown and improved her No. 5 mark on the UND top-10 list. Giersdorff took 39th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:41.44. She became the first UND distance runner on the women’s side to compete in the steeplechase at the NCAA West Regional in back-to-back years, also taking 45th in 11:15.85 at the meet last season. Giersdorff remains just the second Hawk on the women’s side to compete in the steeplechase at the meet in program history and her time of 10:41.44 beat the previous best time in the event at the NCAA West Preliminary Round, which was 10:51.59 by Keeler last year.
The German steeplechaser entered the meet as the No. 39 seed after clocking a time of 10:18.85 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. With that time, she shattered the school record and took eighth in the open section with a PR. Her time destroyed the previous school record of Keeler, who set it at 10:28.86 at the 2024 Summit League Outdoor Championships. Keeler and Curry will conclude North Dakota’s season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday, June 12.
North Dakota State Sophomore Arienne Birch and freshman Nyariek Kur concluded competition for the North Dakota State women’s track & field team at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds on Saturday afternoon.
Birch cleared 5-11.25 (1.81m) to tie for 12th in the high jump, but lost in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene.
Kur placed 39th in the triple jump with a mark of 40-08.75 (12.41m). She ends the season ranked fourth in NDSU outdoor history.
South Dakota On the final day of the NCAA West First Rounds in College Station, Texas, the Coyotes had their fourth qualifier for the NCAA Championships, and it came on a school record performance from Sara Reifenrath.
Reifenrath, a senior from Hartington, Nebraska, broke her own 400-meter school record Thursday night to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal round race. She had to best her own record yet again Saturday to make the NCAA Championships in Eugene, and she did that by running 51.91 to place 11th.
She became the first Coyote woman to run under 52 seconds with the performance Saturday. She also competed in the 200-meters, where her time of 23.36 placed her 17th.
Also on the track Saturday, Averi Schmeichel ran a personal best 57.32 in the 400-meter hurdles that ranks her second in South Dakota history in the event. That time placed her 13th in the quarterfinal, missing on making the NCAA Championships by .18 seconds.
In the field events, Lydia Knapp placed 36th in the discus with a throw of 165-7 (50.47m). She took 13th in the hammer throw on Thursday. Danii Anglin tied for 36th in the high jump with a 5-7 ¼ (1.71m) clearance.
Four South Dakota track and field athletes will compete at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon June 11-14. Tre Young represents the Coyote men in the pole vault. Anna Willis and Gen Hirata represent the Coyote women’s pole vault squad and Reifenrath will compete in the 400-meters.
South Dakota State Senior Madison Kizer competed in the high jump on Saturday afternoon to conclude competition for the South Dakota State women’s track & field team at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds. Kizer cleared 5-07.25 (1.71m) to take 31st in the event. Kizer also finished her collegiate career, but will live on in SDSU history as the senior tied the program record of 5-10.75 earlier this season.
Milford high school student detained by ICE, coach confirms – NBC Boston
An 18-year-old Massachusetts high school student, described by his volleyball coach as an “exceptional citizen” who “makes other people smile,” was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Saturday morning. The news has left the Milford community feeling “helpless,” according to the teen’s volleyball coach. The student, a junior who excels in both […]
An 18-year-old Massachusetts high school student, described by his volleyball coach as an “exceptional citizen” who “makes other people smile,” was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Saturday morning.
The news has left the Milford community feeling “helpless,” according to the teen’s volleyball coach.
The student, a junior who excels in both sports and music at Milford High School, was on his way to volleyball practice with his teammates when their car was pulled over.
Andrew Mainini, the school’s boy’s volleyball coach, said he received a text sometime before 8:30 a.m. from a student who witnessed the detention. According to the coach, ICE agents released two other students who were in the car, stating they were minors.
“I was sitting there thinking, ‘This can’t be happening,'” Mainini said. “I’m a person who watches a decent amount of news and it’s one thing to see things happening in the world. It’s another to have them directly impact the people you work with and care for on a daily basis.”
Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino confirmed over the phone Saturday night that he is aware of the teen’s detention by immigration officials. He said he is looking into the matter, but his department was not involved in the operation.
Immigration agents’ legal authority depends on the type of warrant they are executing and where they are executing it.
Milford Superintendent Kevin McIntyre confirmed in a statement to NBC10 Boston on Sunday that an 18-year-old high school student was detained by ICE agents off campus this weekend.
According to the superintendent, a number of parents have been detained by ICE in recent weeks, as well.
“We are all distraught by this news,” McIntyre said, adding that Milford Public Schools plays no part in immigration enforcement and supports all students and their families, including those who are immigrants.
“They are members of the community, students in our classrooms, athletes that compete representing Milford, musicians, artists, friends and neighbors,” the superintendent continued. “We will do everything in our power to support our students and families during these difficult times.”
Attempts to reach ICE officials for comment have been unsuccessful. In response to the detention, a peaceful protest is planned for noon Sunday at Town Hall.
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