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Flooding Mississippi River prompts evacuations, sandbagging

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

Communities along the Upper Mississippi River scrambled Wednesday as the always massive river swelled to near record levels, forcing some to be evacuated from their homes while others downstream stacked sandbag walls and closed off flood-prone areas near the waterway.The river has grown so large because of a huge snowpack in northern Minnesota that began to quickly melt last week due to rising temperatures.A small number of people had to leave their homes in Wisconsin as the river kept rising. Others were stacking sandbags in the small community of Buffalo, Iowa, in anticipation of flooding this weekend and early next week.The Mississippi was expected to be especially high along parts of Wisconsin, and crest Wednesday or early Thursday in La Crosse. In Iowa, forecasts predict the river will reach the third-highest level ever recorded when it crests Saturday about 160 miles to the south in Davenport, Iowa.Improved floodwalls and other temporary measures should prevent significant pro...

Mississippi jail escapee surrounded, believed dead

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Authorities hunted Wednesday for four inmates, including one suspected of killing a man and stealing his pickup truck, who escaped over the weekend from a Mississippi jail that has been under federal scrutiny.Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson told WJTV-TV that the suspect in the killing, 22-year-old Dylan Arrington, is believed to be dead after he barricaded himself inside a burning home near Conway, Mississippi, Wednesday morning. The suspect shot a deputy from within the home, the Leake County Sheriff’s office said in a statement on their Facebook page, adding that the deputy was transported to a hospital where he was stabilized. “The situation continued for roughly two hours before it was resolved,” the office said. No further explanation of what that meant was given in the statement. Multiple law enforcement agencies were searching parts of the state, with the Leake County Sheriff’s Office telling residents to “please keep your doors loc...

HBCUs capitalize on growing interest by adding sport options

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

The outrage, frustration and emotional trauma Jahi Jones felt as he watched video of police murdering George Floyd three years ago compelled him to seek ways to lift up other young Black men. He just wasn’t sure how to do it.Jones had attended the University of Maryland on an academic scholarship and was a walk-on for the wrestling team. He became team captain, competed at the NCAA championships and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He later noticed that, in 2021, Black men made up half the 10 Division I national champions but fewer than 10% of Division I wrestlers. That’s when everything started to click.“I would start thinking about ways that I could get involved to help inside of the wrestling community and just make things more fair and equitable,” he said. “It was just seeing the lack of diversity, but also seeing that … we excel inside the sport, but (we are) just not having those same opportunities to develop.”Now 25, Jones is the executive...

Union says government not budging on bargaining position or public service wage offer

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

OTTAWA — The president of the largest federal public service union says the government isn’t budging on its contract offer to federal workers that would see a nine per cent wage increase over three years.Chris Aylward says the government told the union by email Tuesday evening that it would not move from its latest offer, signalling a stalemate in the negotiations.Today marks day eight since 155,000 public servants walked off the job to call for higher wages, and work-from-home provisions, among other things.Aylward says the union has adjusted its initial ask for a 13.5 per cent wage increase to keep up inflation but he will not say what the new wage request is.Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says in a written statement today that she wants to make an agreement quickly, but the government won’t sign an agreement that Canadians can’t afford.The parties remain at the negotiating table while the strike continues. Aylward called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau t...

MSI employees demand management stay neutral ahead of vote to unionize

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

CHICAGO — Museum of Science and Industry employees are trying to become the next cultural workers in the city to unionize — but organizers say management at the museum have been fighting the process and have called union organizers bullies.About 20 MSI employees held a rally Wednesday morning demanding management to stay neutral ahead of the vote to unionize.Workers also say since starting discussions to form a union, coffee machines appeared in break rooms and upper management were being overly nice to themUnion organizers say management at MSI is following the union-busting playbook. Organizers signed and delivered a letter to MSI President and CEO Chevy Humphrey, demanding management a fair process.If approved, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFCME) would represent close to 150 museum workers, known as MSIWU.If workers do vote to unionize they would be joining cultural workers across the nation and at the Field Museum and Art Institute, who have...

Gurnee middle school teacher assaulted while breaking up fight, police say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

GURNEE, Ill.  — An investigation is underway in Gurnee after a teacher suffered a leg injury while breaking up a fight between two middle school students. The incident occurred just after 11 a.m. Tuesday at Woodlawn Middle School. According to police, two 7th graders had a physical altercation and the teacher tried to intervene. "During the scuffle, one of the involved students assaulted the teacher, who sustained a leg injury," police said. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe teacher was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for medical aid. One student in the fight sustained minor injuries and was treated at the school.

Carrie Fisher will receive Walk of Fame star on 'Star Wars' Day

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

(KTLA) – The late movie legend Carrie Fisher will posthumously receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next month. Fisher's ceremony will take place on "Star Wars" Day, which is May 4. The common phrase for the occasion is "May the Fourth be with You."The actress famously played Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy and the sequel trilogy. She'll receive the 2,754th star, joining her "Star Wars" costars Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. Man climbs KTLA tower in Hollywood holding ‘Free Billie Eilish’ sign "I am happy to add, that her star is just a few feet away from the star of Mark Hamill and across the street from the star of her legendary mother Debbie Reynolds," said Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Fisher died on Dec. 27, 2016, after suffering a heart attack. Her mother died the day after. Fisher's daughter, actress Billie Lourd, is set to accept the honor. The ceremony will take place May 4 at 11:30 a.m. at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. For tho...

Dog mauls Florida toddler left alone in playpen: police

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 1-year-old was flown to the hospital after he was attacked by at least one dog at a home in Florida, New Port Richey police said in a press release. The news release did not state when or exactly where the incident occurred, but said the child's mother, Destiny Coleman, had been arrested on charges of child neglect resulting in great bodily harm. Another person, Tina Dean, was also arrested for child neglect and for providing false information to law enforcement.According to police, Coleman left the child alone in his playpen while she went with a friend to buy narcotics and alcohol. "When Coleman left, she left the child in the care of Tina Dean who was only notified, via voice," the press release said. "Dean was not in the same room as the child when Coleman left the residence and did not have sight of the child."Police said two dogs were roaming freely inside the home, and one bit the child in the face, leaving him with deep puncture wounds and lacerations ...

Travis County fentanyl deaths more than double between 2021, 2022

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Fentanyl-involved accidental overdoses more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, as Travis County leaders detail an ongoing public health crisis.The 2022 annual report from the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed there were 417 accidental overdose fatalities countywide in 2022, with 245 of those linked to fentanyl. By comparison, 308 total people died from fatal accidental overdoses in 2021, with 118 of those involving fentanyl."The problem has grown significantly worse," Travis County Judge Andy Brown said during a press conference Wednesday morning. As Travis County nears its fiscal year 2023-24 budget approval, Brown said he will be asking county commissioners for $750,000 next fiscal year to support an overdose fund. He said the necessity to build a more robust response network and expand its critical infrastructure and support for community partners is critical.At the state level, Brown called on politicians to approve a number of init...

Austin man 1 of 3 sentenced in scheme to solicit millions of dollars through 'scam' PACs

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:12:39 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) — An Austin man was one of three people sentenced for charges related to a scheme to solicit millions of dollars in contributions to two political action committees, or PACs, that said the funds would support presidential candidates during and after the 2016 election cycle, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice. According to court documents, from 2016 through at least April 2017, the three men operated two PACs — Liberty Action Group PAC and Progressive Priorities PAC — that solicited contributions from the public through robocalls and radio and internet advertisements, the DOJ said. The two PACs made it seem like the contributions would be used to support the presidential nominees of the two major political parties, according to the DOJ. Instead, the men used the money on themselves and to fund additional fraudulent solicitations, the release said. Specifically, the two PACs raised approximately $4 million in con...