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City Council rejects ruling on police discipline, approves contract extension

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Police pay and discipline involving the Chicago Police Department were among several topics discussed by the City Council on Wednesday.The most significant item for council members was the FOP contract. Pay was the easy part. By a 42 to 7 vote, members signed off on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s deal to double pay raises for rank-and-file officers.The deal includes a 5% pay raise in 2024 and 2025, up from 2.5% and 2% previously collectively bargained. Also included are new stipends of $1,000 annually for officers with emergency medical, crisis intervention, or bike training certificates.There's also a $2,500 retention bonus for every union officer. Discipline was another matter. Should officers accused of serious wrongdoing – offenses requiring a one-year suspension or termination – be allowed to hold proceedings behind closed doors? An arbitrator said yes."I don’t know who I’m calling when something happens – am I calling the boys on the block or the police?" asked Ald....

Chicago teen on a mission to help others experience fresh air, nature

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago teen is on a mission to get kids to turn to trees over tablets.Meet Andre McKinnie, whose own experiences with fresh air, nature and open spaces inspired him to found the Outdoor Adventure Club at Chicago's Intrinsic High School.There are many statistics related to the idea of "nature gaps," but perhaps the most alarming is that roughly 28 million children in the U.S. don't have any natural space or park within 10 minutes of their home.That was certainly the case for McKinnie, who was already eight years old the first time he went from hard pavement to a soft dirt trail. A walk at the Indiana Dunes National Park Learning Center on the shores of Lake Michigan in Southwest Indiana changed his own path going forward.Andre McKinnie"It was very different from every experience I've ever head," McKinnie recalled. "I'd never been fully immersed in nature."Being from the city, it's like being somewhere different, as if time slows down and there's just a different feeling ...

Nearly half of teens say they are online ‘almost constantly’: Poll 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

(The Hill) -- Close to half of U.S. teens said they are using the internet “almost constantly,” according to a Pew Research Center poll released Monday.  Forty-six percent of teens said they are online almost constantly, on par with what Pew researchers found last year but nearly double the 24 percent who said they were online almost constantly in polls conducted between 2014 and 2015.The increase comes as experts and lawmakers have warned about the impact of social media on youth mental health. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory in May that argued social media use may be harmful to the mental health of young people, and Congress has been considering bipartisan proposals aimed at curbing social media harms for teens.   Which apps do teens spend the most time using? Black and Hispanic teens were more likely than white teens to say they are online almost constantly, according to Pew. The poll found that 55 percent of Hispanic teens and 54 percent of Black teens s...

Officials investigating after substitute teacher brings gun onto Leander school campus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- Leander Independent School District and the Travis County Sheriff's Office are investigating after a substitute teacher was reported as having a gun on a LISD campus on Wednesday, LCISD confirmed in a letter that was sent to parents.That letter came from the principal of Four Points Middle School in Leander.The district said the substitute teacher, who had a license to carry, "will no longer be allowed to serve as a substitute for the district.""We want to thank the students who reported the incident to staff. We commend their communication and effort to ensure an expedited, yet thorough investigation was conducted," the principal said in the letter. "We are taking this situation seriously. Bringing a gun to any school violates federal and state law."Read the full letter sent to Four Points MS parents below:Good afternoon Four Points Middle School families and staff,The safety and security of all students are our top priority at Four Points Middle School. Wi...

I’m a Texas homeowner. When will I see my tax cut?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Few Texans understand the state’s complex property tax laws. So homeowners can be easily forgiven for wondering when and how promised tax cuts will show up in their wallets.More than 80% of Texas voters in the November election approved more than $18 billion in property tax cuts.Because the state doesn’t impose its own property taxes, it’s not as simple as it may sound. Voters actually approved a scheme in which local school districts must lower their tax rates with the promise that the state will make up the lost revenue. Voters, also prompted by state lawmakers, approved another amendment that increased the amount a person who lives in the home they own can protect from taxes, a mechanism known as the homestead exemption, and limit the amount property valuations can rise.Madison McMullen, a first-time homeowner in Lufkin, knows the cuts will help her in the long run. She hopes to pay more toward her principal and cut down the time it ta...

'Early' and 'under budget': Stassney Lane Reconstruction Project now complete

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin said the Stassney Lane Reconstruction Project was completed early and under budget.The infrastructure enhancement project was funded under a 2018 mobility bond. It was initiated on July 23, 2022, and completed Nov. 21, according to the city.“The project, spanning from Teri Lane to Burleson Road, focused on vital improvements, including some full-depth street reconstruction, roadway resurfacing, modern traffic signal systems, enhanced intersection designs, shared-use paths, ADA-compliant sidewalk replacement, and improved pedestrian crossings,” the city said.In a statement, the city said the project aligned with its commitment to investing in crucial transportation infrastructure. 

Iron Range Hells Angels president charged with kidnapping, assault

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

VIRGINIA, Minn. — The president of the Iron Range Hells Angels motorcycle club has now been charged with kidnapping and beating a man, whom he reportedly planned to hold at the group’s clubhouse for a “few months.”Jerand Paul French, 38, of Eveleth, was arraigned Wednesday in St. Louis County District Court on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment and fifth-degree assault in the late November incident that also allegedly involved the rape of a woman by other members.Court documents allege that French initiated the attack after the male victim refused his command to stop associating with the female victim.A prospective member of the group, Paul Anthony Debelak, 37, of Eveleth, was charged Tuesday with the rape and other related crimes. A third man was released from jail without immediate charges, but the investigation remains ongoing.The male victim was found limping and shaking in apparent fear near the Eveleth Police Department by Chief Jesse Linde on the even...

Gophers women’s basketball overwhelms Grambling 96-64

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

The bench players came up big for the Gophers women’s basketball team in Wednesday’s 96-64 rout of Grambling at Williams Arena.Minnesota substitutes scored 34 points in the nonconference game, the Gophers’ seventh straight victory.Mara Braun led the Gophers (10-1) with 26 points in 24 minutes of playing time. Freshman Grace Grocholski added 12 points, 11 in the first half. And Mallory Heyer came through with 10 points and nine rebounds.Minnesota was 11 for 27 on 3-point shot attempts. Braun led the way, making a career-high six 3-pointers.The Gophers defense turned 18 Grambling turnovers into 28 points.Amaya Battle was all over the court for the U, making four steals and chipping in 10 assists.

Wild place Jonas Brodin on injured reserve, recall three from Iowa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

The Wild on Wednesday placed Jonas Brodin, out with an injury to his right arm, on long-term injured reserve. The veteran defenseman will miss at least the next nine games.Brodin was injured when Edmonton forward Evander Kane slammed him into the end boards during the Oilers’ 4-3 victory last Thursday at Rogers Place.Using salary cap space cleared by Brodin being moved to LTIR, the Wild recalled three players from Iowa on Wednesday afternoon — forward Vinni Letierri, and defensemen Dakota Mermis and Daemon Hunt.The second D could indicate that captain Jared Spurgeon won’t be available for Thursday night’s game against the Calgary Flames at Xcel Energy Center. After days off Monday and Tuesday, Spurgeon missed Wednesday’s practice for what coach John Hynes called maintenance.Asked if Spurgeon would play Thursday, Hynes said, “As far as I know, yes.”Spurgeon missed the season’s first 14 games because of an upper-body injury suffered in a preseason game, but over the Wild’s first seven...

St. Paul shooting leaves 1 dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:27 GMT

A shooting on St. Paul’s University Avenue left one person dead Wednesday afternoon.Police said they’ve investigating the homicide in the 400 block of West University Avenue.The police department planned to release additional information later Wednesday. Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Man acquitted in St. Paul triple murder convicted in earlier kidnapping and shooting Crime & Public Safety | Supreme Court will hear a case that could undo Capitol riot charge against hundreds, including Trump Crime & Public Safety | Former Benton County attorney acquitted of sexual assault charges involving teenage girl Crime & Public Safety | Mahtomedi man robbed of casino winnings in his driveway, charges say Crime & Public Safety | Man accused of stealing, holding French bulldogs for ransom