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IL Secretary of State awards law enforcement $21M to combat carjacking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

CHICAGO — Car thefts and car jackings continue to trend in the wrong direction with its steady rise. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias awarded law enforcement in Illinois $21 million dollars to help turn that trend around. Car thefts and carjackings continue to be a problem nationwide with its initial peak at the beginning of the pandemic. Earlier this month, using statistics collection by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Chicago Tribune reported auto thefts in Chicago is up 55 percent in 2022 compared to the year before, making Chicago the top city of car thefts last year. Police: 21-year-old Navy sailor missing in Waukegan Six agencies will split the sum including the Chicago Police Department which will receive $1.5 million. The Illinois State Police are set to receive the largest amount, totaling $10.2 million, which Director Brendan Kelly stated will be used, in part, to purchase mobile plate readers and replace two airplanes.Chicago police have been making progre...

Off-duty pilot steps in to help land Southwest flight after pilot becomes 'incapacitated'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – An off-duty pilot was on the right flight at the right time Wednesday after the plane's pilot suffered a medical emergency. Southwest Airlines Flight 6013 had just departed from Las Vegas when one of the pilots required medical attention, the airlines told USA Today and NBC. Additional details about the pilot's health issue weren't available. As heard in recordings obtained by LiveATC, a member of the flight crew can be heard saying the pilot had stomach pain before they "fainted or became incapacitated." The pilot "came back" after about a minute, someone says in the archived recording, and had been taken to the back of the plane. Ambulance and departing plane come within 173 feet: ‘Significant potential for collision’ Thankfully, a pilot from another airline was among the passengers on Wednesday's Southwest flight. That pilot then stepped into the flight deck and helped with radio communication while the second Southwest pilot flew the plane back to Las Vegas.Federa...

The top barbecue joint in every state, according to Yelp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Make no bones about it: Barbecue is one of America’s favorite cuisines.Barbecue, however, is also the subject of some of the most heated debates among foodies. What qualifies as “barbecue” in one region of the country might not pass in another, seeing as some folks might prefer baby-back ribs over St. Louis-style, or the flavors of mesquite over hickory. And don’t even get started on the sauces.The best barbecue, therefore, is truly in the taste buds of the beholder.With that in mind, it’s perhaps easier to set aside any preconceived notions and enjoy some regional styles of barbecue — even if it’s not exactly one's preferred style. To help determine where some of the most finger-lickin’ examples can be found, the analysts at Yelp have compiled a list of the platform’s top-rated barbecue joints in every state, based on the recommendations from its user community. It should be noted, though, that Yelp’s findings are also based on the “total volume” of reviews for each bar...

Dean Richards chats with the stars of TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

Zurin VillanuevaAri GrooverGarrett TurnerEvent:TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL – Presented by Broadway In ChicagoPlaying now through April 2 at The James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St., Chicago) Tickets can be purchased at http://www.broadwayinchicago.comhttps://tinaonbroadway.com/

DeSantis proposes expansion of law criticized as 'Don't Say Gay'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

(The Hill) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration is proposing an expansion of a law — dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” — that prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to all grades in the state.The proposal to expand the ban on classroom instruction on the topics was proposed by the state Education Department, and would ban such lessons in grades 4-12, unless it is expressly required by state academic standards or part of a reproductive health course which a parent has the option to opt out of. The current law prohibits the teaching to students in pre-K to third grade.The proposal would not need legislative approval and is set to be voted on by the state Board of Education next month, according to the Associated Press, setting up a possible extension of a law that has drawn applause from conservatives but has been criticized as a move that stifles free speech and targets the LGBTQ community. DeSantis has tapped into cultural issues, including q...

Amber Alert issued for 13-year-old last seen in Azle, near Fort Worth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

AZLE, Texas (KXAN) -- An Amber Alert was issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety Thursday for a 13-year-old last seen in a town near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Aubree Trainer was last seen Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas, which is about 17 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Trainer is described as:5'4"103 lbsBrown hairGreen eyesLast seen wearing glasses, a black t-shirt with 'Tupac' written in print, tie-dye pants, white slide shoes, and her hair in a bunTrainer was seen traveling with an unknown suspect in a white panel van with unknown license plates, pictured below. Anyone with information should call 911.Aubree Trainer was last seen in this van, with an unknown suspect, on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas. (Photo: Texas DPS)Aubree Trainer was last seen in this van, with an unknown suspect, on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas. (Photo: Texas DPS)Call 817-444-3221 to re...

Austin Public Health says deadly fungus spreading in the U.S. is a ‘top threat’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Austin Public Health said that Candida auris (C. auris) — the often multidrug-resistant and deadly fungus — is “very concerning” and a “top threat” for the agency, though there are currently no known cases in Austin. C. auris is a fungus that first appeared in Japan in 2009. After the initial case, the fungus showed up in several locations across the globe simultaneously, said Betsy Kirkpatrick, a disease investigator with APH.The fungus doesn't typically threaten healthy people, but for people who are very sick or have invasive medical devices such as catheters or ventilators, they have more than a one in three chance of dying if infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that the fungus is a serious global health threat, saying it spread at an “alarming rate” during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. C. auris was first reported in the U.S. in 2016. From 2016 through 2021, there were 3,270 reported clinical cases — meaning ...

Austin evictions back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Evictions in Austin are back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to a research center based at Princeton University called the Eviction Lab. RELATED COVERAGE: Travis County approves funding for program that will help people facing eviction, talks minimum wage According to their data, there were 262 eviction filings in Austin from February 26 to March 4. In one week of March 2020, there were 129 filings. The Eviction Lab reported numbers were up 180% from the average as of earlier this month. This comes as the Texas Rent Relief portal had to shut down earlier than planned because of the high demand. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Renters in ‘crisis’ after Texas Rent Relief shutdown According to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, it saw more than 100,000 applications just one day after the system opened. According to the researchers, eviction filings in Austin were higher than average at the beginning of 2020 but then took a dip once eviction moratoriums ...

Man charged with sexual assault, accused of attack near downtown Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man has been charged with aggravated sexual assault after he was accused of attacking a woman riding a scooter near downtown Austin. Court documents report police responded to a call near Interstate 35 and 14th Street around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Police found a victim "visibly injured" with a split lower jaw, bodily bruises and evidence of a sexual assault, per the affidavit.The victim told police a man "made contact with her" while she was riding a scooter and traveling east under the I-35 bridge. The victim said the man punched her several times before sexually assaulting her, court documents show.Officers found and identified Aaron Lewis, a 44-year-old man matching the suspect description, under the I-35 bridge. Lewis told police he saw the victim riding a scooter under the bridge and asked her to perform sexual acts on him, per the affidavit.When she said no, Lewis told police he struck her jaw before climbing on top of her for several minutes. Lewis told...

‘Mount Eden Prairie,’ a giant snow pile in a Target parking lot, is going viral

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:11 GMT

A suburban parking lot, a big snow pile and a Target shopping cart have combined to create a local attraction that stands as a landmark to our eighth snowiest winter.They’re even talking about it in England!“A pile of dirty snow in a parking lot topped with a Target shopping cart has received its own name and has been predicted to stick around until May,” the Independent reported. “The pile of snow in the Eden Prairie Center parking lot has been dubbed ‘Mount Eden Prairie.'”The snow pile, located in the Target parking lot at 8225 Flying Cloud Dr., is also known as “Mount Target.” The shopping cart at its summit is what inspired Becky Allen to paint it in a creation called “King of the Mountain Shopping Cart – Eden Prairie Target March 2023.”“If I hadn’t seen the cart on it, I probably would’ve just thought, ‘Oh, that’s a big snowbank’ and kept driving on,” Allen told Robyn Katona of Minnesota Public Radio. ̶...