New England Sun-Times

Legendary singer Natalie Cole, who won nine Grammy awards and recorded hits like “This Will Be” and “Inseparable,” has died. She was 65. “It is with heavy hearts that we bring to you all the news of our Mother and sister’s passing. Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived … with dignity, strength and honor,” Cole’s sisters, Timolin Cole and Casey Cole, and her son, Robert Yancy, said in a statement provided to EW. “Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever.” The daughter of Nat King Cole and Maria Hawkins Cole, Natalie Cole made her singing debut at the age of 6, when she recorded a Christmas song with her father. While she initially didn’t intend to pursue music, she began singing and performing after college, choosing rock and R&B material over her father’s jazz standards.  In May 1975, she rocketed to the top of the charts with her debut album  Inseparable,  which fea...

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — A school board member who fears a children's book about the Muppets is too graphic for young children  will try to get the book removed from kindergarten curriculum  at a Wednesday meeting between  Marshfield  school officials and community members. Marshfield School Board member Mary Carney in July objected to the district’s use of the book  For Every Child a Better World  by  Jim Henson  in kindergarten classes, The book, she contends, contains images of suffering children living in poverty and violence, including one illustration that shows a child living in a box in the rain. Some people have said they were traumatized after reading the book, according to Carney, who cited online reviews as evidence. “I just have concerns that it’s too graphic, even though these are Muppets characters,” Carney said. “Unfortunately in this world there is a lot of war and strife and poverty; I un...

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AP) — Officials say two male Afghan nationals being trained at an Air Force base in Georgia have gone missing. In a news release issued Tuesday night, base officials said the two students didn't report on Monday to "their regular maintenance training" with the  81st Fighter Squadron  at Moody Air Force base, located near Valdosta, about 230 miles south of Atlanta. The release notes that the two men have been at Moody since February 2015 and "were screened prior to their arrival in the United States more than a year ago." The release adds that federal authorities are searching for the students, who have been training "alongside American counterparts for the entirety of 2015 and do not pose any apparent threat." AJC.com reports that the 81st Fighter Squadron was reactivated in January to train Afghan airmen.

Douglas Tompkins , the co-founder of outdoor equipment brand the North Face, has died in a kayaking accident in Chile at the age of 72. a wealthy U.S. businessman and environmental activist who bought up large swaths of land in South America's Patagonia region with the aim to keep them pristine, has died. He was 72. Tompkins died Tuesday from severe hypothermia in a kayaking accident in Chile, authorities said. The Aysen health service said Tompkins, who was a co-founder of The North Face and  Esprit clothing  companies, was boating with five other foreigners when their kayaks capsized in a lake in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. Tompkins died in the intensive care unit of the hospital in  Coyhaique , a town 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) south of Santiago. "He had lost consciousness and wasn't breathing" when brought to the hospital by helicopter, Dr.  Carlos Salazar  told local television stations. Chile's army said strong waves on G...

Quick and easy way to make Filipino Banana Lumpia, caramelized banana egg rolls. Recipe Filipino Banana Lumpia You'll need... 8 square spring roll wrappers 4 ripe bananas or plantains 1 cup light brown sugar Water for sealing wrappers Vegetable oil Let's get Cooking... Slice bananas into quarters, and roll the pieces in the brown sugar. Place 1-2 slices on one bottom corner of a wrapper, roll, fold, and seal. Repeat the process. Heat enough vegetable oil to fill a pan halfway. Fry the lumpia until golden brown on one side, flip and sprinkle a little brown sugar on top. Cook the other side until golden brown, flip and sprinkle the brown sugar on top again. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve alone or with ice cream.

Police confirm at least 14 fatalities and 14 more injured Between 1 and 3 shooters still at large Incident took place at center for people with developmental disabilities SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A shooting Wednesday morning at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, left at least 14 people dead and 14 more injured, police said. San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said at a press conference that up to three suspects "have fled, potentially in a dark-colored SUV." Lt. Richard Lawhead told MSNBC the incident took place at  Inland Regional Center . According to its Facebook page, the center assists individuals with developmental disabilities. It has nearly 670 staff and provides services to more than 30,200 people. It “could be a possibility” that there are others dead or wounded inside the building, Burguan said. Masked gunmen stormed a conference room at the center where an awards ceremony for county employees was taking place, acco...

The panel will study police accountability in the wake of a teen's shooting and the police superintendent's ouster. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is heading back to his hometown to help improve police accountability in Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has assigned high-profile members for the newly created Task Force on Police Accountability, including Patrick. The former Massachusetts governor will serve as a senior adviser to the panel, along with former Director of the Illinois State Police Hiram Grau and Chicago Police Board President Lori Lightfoot, Emanuel’s officer announced Tuesday. The new panel comes after a video release showing Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting an African-American teen, Laquan McDonald, to death on a lonely stretch of Pulaski Road in October 2014. Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy was relieved of his duties  Tuesday, following several days of protests. Black leaders and editorial writers in the city had cal...