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Austin working to mitigate risk of wildfires at homeless camps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As you walk some parts of the Violet Crown Trail in southwest Austin, it's hard not to see the abandoned campfires and propane canisters along the way. That's where Jamie Hammonds, who has created a small group called DASH, was Friday morning. DASH documents homeless camps, largely for social media, and brings supplies to people in those camps. Right now, the team of two has spent much of its time bringing ice water to people and trying to educate homeless people about fire danger. "They build these fires to eat, to do what they need to do, and in this type of environment with the heat it takes nothing for a campfire to go from a campfire to a wildfire in a matter of minutes," Hammonds said. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said during a Tuesday press conference on wildfire preparation that the city has been “paying specific attention” to homeless encampments with high fire danger and relocating people staying at encampments into shelters.Earlier this week, a home...

Court documents reveal new details in Ft Ann teen shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

FT ANNE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — News details have emerged in the case of a Washington County teen who shot another teenager on Wednesday. NEWS 10 is concealing the victim and suspect's names due to their ages.17 yo old charged with manslaughter in death of 14 yo in Ft AnnRecently obtained Court documents state that the 17 year old suspect recklessly fired a shotgun which struck the victim in the abdomen. The victim who we’ve now learned turned 14 this past Sunday, later died at Glens Falls Hospital.  The documents also reveal that the 17 year old suspect has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, and reckless endangerment. The shooting occurred after 5:10 PM Wednesday at a home on Charles Street. 3 other people were present in the apartment at the time of the shooting.District Attorney Tony Jordan on the matter:“In New York with an individual under 18, that begins a pre-process, where a decision has to be made first as to by our office, as to whether we want to seek permission from ...

Chicken N Pickle coming to St. Charles Main Street, eyes October opening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Play pickleball, enjoy a chicken sandwich. That's the main concept for a new entertainment complex in the works along St. Charles Main Street. Chicken N Pickle is preparing to open its first St. Louis-area complex later this year. It will be just the second Chicken N Pickle site in Missouri and the ninth in the United States. Mike Klinghammer, Economic Development Director for the City of St. Charles, tells FOX 2 he is hopeful Chicken N Pickle will open by mid-October. He is hopeful all construction will be finished in the upcoming months so visitors can enjoy outdoor and indoor pickleball play from the start. ‘Stop work’ order triggers $7K bill in Jennings as resignations stack up "The city is tremendously excited about Chicken N Pickle," said Klinghammer in a phone call with FOX 2. "We want it so when people come, they experience the whole thing." FOX 2 visited the construction grounds on Friday after buzz from a community Facebook group. Crews are still work...

St. Louis-area school districts prepare for scorching start to new school year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - With dangerous heat in the forecast next week, local school districts are preparing to keep their students cool and ready to learn.The Parkway School District, like many and others around the St. Louis area, are preparing for students to return next week. There's a possibility of triple-digit temperatures to start the new week, posing various challenges for school districts. ‘Stop work’ order triggers $7K bill in Jennings as resignations stack up “We are really excited to have the kids back on Monday," said Elisa Tomich with the Parkway School District. "We can't wait for that to happen, and we have a number of precautions that will be in place because the temperature is going to be very high." Outside the classroom, kids will be on the playground and gearing up for sports. The Parkway School District has an excessive heat plan in place  “We are going to modify recess, P.E. activities, and sports as needed," said Tomich. "Nurses are prepared. Bottled water...

City empties as thousands flee huge wildfire closing in on capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

By TAMMY WEBBER and JIM MORRIS (Associated Press)VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Residents heeded warnings to evacuate the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories as a massive wildfire burned toward the city of 20,000, while firefighters on Friday battled a growing fire that set homes ablaze in a city in British Columbia.Thousands of people in Yellowknife drove hundreds of kilometers (miles) to safety with authorities guiding motorists through fire zones, or waited in long lines lines for emergency flights as the worst fire season on record in Canada showed no signs of easing. Airtankers flew missions overnight to keep the only route out of Yellowknife open. Meanwhile, a network of fire guards, sprinklers and water cannons was established to try to protect the city from the fire.Fire Information Officer Mike Westwick told The Associated Press by phone Friday evening that the fire was still 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of the the city, partly because cooler temp...

Hurricane Hilary takes aim at Southern California: live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

Hurricane Hilary reached Category 4 strength as it moved northward along the Pacific coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The storm is expected to make landfall in Southern California on Sunday as a weak Category 1 or a tropical storm with rainfall amounts ranging from two to 10 inches. Many communities are bracing for flash flooding and a destructive storm surge. Live Hilary Radar | Interactive Storm Tracker | Full coverage3:45 p.m Friday - Southern California Edison provided this update on the utility's storm preparations:We’ve been planning ahead for this storm event and have positioned additional personnel, which includes restoration and repair crews, in areas that are expected to receive the most significant impacts. This will allow us to respond to outages in affected areas as quickly as we can safely do so. 2 p.m. Friday - Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm threatening to unleash torrential rains on the mudslide-prone border...

Powerful Hurricane Hilary heads for Mexico's Baja. Rare tropical storm watch issued for California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico's Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm threatening to unleash torrential rains on the mudslide-prone border city of Tijuana before heading into Southern California as the first tropical storm there in 84 years. Forecasters warned the storm could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornadoes across the region.Hillary grew rapidly in strength early Friday before losing some steam in the afternoon, with sustained winds falling from 145 mph (230 kph) to 130 mph (215 kph). Nevertheless, it was forecast to still be a hurricane when approaching Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night and a tropical storm when approaching Southern California on Sunday.No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. The watch was posted for a wide swath of Southern California from the coast to interior mountains and deserts. The U.S. National Hu...

Five Antioch and Pittsburg cops charged with accepting bribes, including tequila, to make traffic tickets go away

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged five Antioch and Pittsburg police officers in an alleged conspiracy to drop traffic tickets in exchange for apparent bribes of food and liquor, court records filed Friday show.The documents show former Antioch police Officer Timothy Manly Williams will be charged with felony counts of conspiracy to commit an act injurious to public and accepting a bribe in a 2020 case where he allegedly accepted Teremana tequila – the brand founded by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – from a person in exchange for help making a traffic ticket go away.The tequila made its way to Antioch patrol Officer Andrea Rodriguez, who court documents allege received the tequila for failing to appear in court Nov. 2, 2020, in a traffic case despite being subpoenaed. Other officers implicated in the court documents include Antioch patrol Officer Calvin Prieto; former Pittsburg Officer Ernesto Mejia-Orozco and Antioch Officer Ben Padilla.The state charges by t...

People’s Park: Demolished trees, vegetation spark $4.5 million lawsuit against UC Berkeley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

BERKELEY — Neighborhood groups tied to People’s Park have filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against the University of California Regents, claiming officials “willfully and maliciously” destroyed the community’s plants and property — hindering access and enjoyment of the park in the process.Three 50-year-old nonprofits — the People’s Park Council, People’s Park Project and Native Plant Forum — filed a civil complaint this week in Alameda County Superior Court, finding fault in how the Regents, the UC system’s governing board, ordered demolition crews last August to start felling trees and fencing in the property a few blocks south of UC Berkeley’s campus.UC Berkeley has been eyeing the site for development since it seized the land by eminent domain and bulldozed the property in 1968 — leaving behind a vacant, muddy lot that hundreds of residents eventually transformed into a park with sod, flowers and trees in 1969. Amid UC’s continued push to dev...

Martinez police shoot and kill unarmed person in cannabis dispensary incident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:49 GMT

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) -- An unarmed person was shot by Martinez Police Department officers outside a cannabis dispensary Friday morning, KRON4 has confirmed. Four officers discharged their firearms, according to Martinez PD.One of the civilians who was involved in the incident was transported to the hospital and was pronounced deceased, police confirmed. The four officers who discharged their weapons have been placed on administrative leave.The California Department of Justice is leading an investigation into the incident.Early Friday morning, Martinez PD received a report of a video alarm at Velvet, a cannabis dispensary, at around 3:27 a.m.Police were advised that there were multiple suspects and two vehicles at the business.According to the owners of the cannabis shop, they received a call from the Martinez Police Department notifying them of an attempted burglary. The suspect(s) was not able to break into the business. Officers arrived about five minutes later, and one of the ...