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'I'm angry:' Uvalde senator criticizes school safety bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- One day after lawmakers passed an unprecedented investment into school security with House Bill 3, the state senator representing Uvalde said it does not go far enough to address the policing and policy failures at Robb Elementary last year."There's not one bill coming out of either one of these bodies that's about accountability or transparency," State Sen. Roland Gutierrez said Tuesday. "These families will be stuck having to figure out what will happen for the next five, six, seven years."Gutierrez said the bill does not address the policies that families of those killed in Robb Elementary have been advocating for for almost a year. He called for the legislature to consider legislation that directly addresses gun violence, invoking the actions other conservative states have taken after mass shootings."Let's be very clear. I'm for anything that's going to make our schools safer," Gutierrez said. "But the three things that is going to really make our schools saf...

Texas softball moves into top-5 in 3 of 4 national polls after Oklahoma State sweep

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Fresh off a huge home sweep of Oklahoma State, the Texas Longhorns are now a top-five team in the country according to three national softball polls.The Longhorns slid into the No. 5 spot in the D1Softball.com, ESPN/USA Softball and NFCA/USA Today Coaches polls while moving up to No. 8 in the Softball America poll.Full D1Softball.com pollFull ESPN/USA Softball pollFull Softball America pollFull NFCA/USA Today Coaches pollThe Longhorns rose four spots in the D1Softball.com poll and two in all the other polls. Texas is currently second in the Big 12 Conference with an 11-4 mark behind top-ranked Oklahoma at 12-0. Texas has one Big 12 series left to play May 5-7 against Baylor. In the meantime, they'll have two nonconference games against UTSA on Wednesday and May 3 against Sam Houston State. Both games are at McCombs Field.Freshman catcher Reese Atwood crushed a 3-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to list to Longhorns past the Cowgirls 3-2 in t...

Minneapolis company with St. Paul history named master developer at old Hillcrest Golf Course site

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

Over the next five-to-seven years, a Minneapolis developer with a long history in St. Paul will oversee the creation of 1,000 new mixed-income residences at The Heights, the 112-acre future development formerly home to the Hillcrest Golf Course.The St. Paul Port Authority, which acquired the defunct country club and its golf course in 2019, announced that Sherman Associates will be the master developer at The Heights, working hand in hand with Johnny Opara and the JO Companies, as well as Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity on a wide range of rental and homeownership options.Plans include 150 Habitat for Humanity affordable homeownership opportunities, ranging from single-family homes to fourplexes — the largest single-site project that Twin Cities Habitat has ever embarked upon, according to officials with the St. Paul-based nonprofit.At 112 acres, the former Hillcrest grounds span almost as much land as Highland Bridge, the development sprouting where the Twin Cities Ford manuf...

With Grizzlies’ early playoff struggles, Timberwolves may regret play-in loss to Lakers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

DENVER — The differences of situation between the No. 7 seed and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this season were stark as Minnesota readied itself for another potential elimination game and the Lakers prepped themselves for a closeout game Wednesday in Memphis.There is no guarantee the Timberwolves would be in the same spot the Lakers are in had they squared off with second-seeded Memphis, but the Grizzlies have looked particularly vulnerable in the first-round series as injuries have decimated their front-court depth and star guard Ja Morant continues to push through a hand injury.Memphis certainly looks more vulnerable than Denver, who after a rough, frankly indifferent, close to the regular season has quickly re-established itself as a favorite to come out of the West.Minnesota split its regular-season series with the Grizzlies after going toe to toe with Memphis in the first round a year ago before eventually falling in six games after losing three separate double-digi...

River Falls: Suspect arrested in death of woman from gunshot wound

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

River Falls, Wis., police have arrested a 31-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of River Falls resident Amy Cathleen Theis early Monday.Michael Dillon Price, of River Falls, was arraigned Tuesday in St. Croix County Circuit Court on a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. Bond was set at $750,000.Theis, 47, was found dead just after midnight on Monday after police responded to reports of an unconscious person in the 500 block of Bandle Street in River Falls. When officers arrived, they discovered Theis, dead of an apparent gunshot wound, according to a press release from the River Falls Police Department.Price’s next court appearance will be May 3.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Wisconsin GOP leader wants income tax cut for all taxpayers Crime & Public Safety | AP source: Jets agree on deal to acquire Aaron Rodgers Crime & Public Safety | Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson renews call for statewide v...

Illinois State Police make arrest in 2017 murder investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A Belleville, Illinois, man is accused of killing an East St. Louis man back in 2017.On April 24, the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office charged James O'Neal, 33, with first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.The Illinois State Police and U.S. Marshals arrested O'Neal on April 25. O'Neal remains in custody at the St. Clair County Jail. Top Story: Mushroom hunter discovers human remains in Pevely The shooting occurred on Aug. 13, 2017, at the former Norman Owens housing development. Two men, both 21, were shot during an attempted robbery. One of the victims, Phillip Smith, died at the scene. The other man was hospitalized and later released.Illinois State Police arrested Devonte Lindsey, 20, on Nov. 3, 2017, and Shavon Brownlee, 24, on Nov. 15, 2017, in connection with the shooting. Both Lindsey and Brownlee were convicted and sentenced to state police.

City SC teams with a local credit union to bridge gap in financial literacy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

ST. LOUIS - When St. Louis City SC goalkeeper and team captain Roman Burki had an incredible night against the Colorado Rapids, he was helping his team as well as some teenagers in the region.“Last week, Roman Burki had a great game,” said Tom Kraus, chief operating officer of Together Credit Union. “That's 12 saves against the Colorado team. So, each time he does that, we open another account and put $300 in.”The promotion ‘Saves for Savings’ first kicked off Saturday, February 25, when City SC took the pitch at the Q2 Stadium against Austin FC. For every save City SC makes during the 2023 regular season, Together Credit Union will open a $300 savings account for a local student. This St. Louis restaurant has the best soul food in Missouri, food writers say “People can still get involved," Kraus said. “We partnered with Boys Hope Girls Hope, St. Louis Public Schools, and the YMCA to put on classes to help youth better understand financial education. Out of that pool of individual...

Victim in Jefferson County rock-hurling attacks mourns the loss of life in crime spree

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

Nathan Tipton is frustrated, irritated and angry, but the 49-year-old is also thankful to be alive or not seriously injured.Tipton, who drives a minivan for fares, is among the half-dozen victims who had their vehicles damaged by someone, or people, who hurled stones in moving traffic. Twenty-year-old Alexa Bartell was killed last week when a rock smashed through the windshield of her car in the 10600 block of Indiana Street in Jefferson County.“It took somebody’s life,” Tipton said of the senseless incident. “It’s a sad thing. It’s horrible, no one should lose their child in such a random act. I hope Alexa and her family can get some type of justice.”Metro Denver Crime Stoppers is offering a $17,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the ongoing case. Investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office ask for the public’s help in identifying and locating the suspect, or suspects, believed to be in a light-color...

Police warned former Broomfield football coach his behavior with students appeared to be “grooming,” report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

The former Broomfield High School football coach who led the team to a state championship last year was warned by police that his behavior and relationships with then-current and former students were “alarming and concerning” and “appear to be ‘grooming.'”The now-closed Broomfield police investigation, which began Dec. 15, detailed allegations that Blair Hubbard engaged in inappropriate private communications with students, including text messages that police said encouraged underage drinking and that students said made them feel uncomfortable.But police found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, according to the report of the investigation The Denver Post obtained from the Broomfield Police Department on Tuesday.Hubbard, who was named the Denver Broncos’ high school football coach of the year days before the investigation started, was placed on administrative leave and later resigned, Boulder Valley School District officials said in a letter sent ...

San Bernardino County's top cop decries rise in violent crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

Violent crime in the Inland Empire and California as a whole has increased, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner, and now he's addressing the issue head-on and asking state and federal legislators and the public to help combat the rise in criminal activity. “We’ve been watching our California dream degrade with increased crime, homelessness and substance abuse,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Shannon Dicus in an op-ed. The San Bernardino County Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement Team estimates that there are 2,100 homeless individuals who are “adverse from help and suffer from extreme mental health and substance abuse issues” in San Bernardino County alone.  Data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows that California had 6,987 parolees at large as of December 2022, with 552 of them at large in San Bernardino County. Dicus believes that the spike in violent crimes is directly correlated with the hig...