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Broaden scope of Canada’s weather alert system to account for wildfires, expert urges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

OTTAWA — As wildfires rage in western Canada, a communications and broadcasting policy expert says the national weather alerting system should account for a wider range of extreme events. Monica Auer of Canada’s Forum for Research and Policy in Communications says emergency notifications should be sent out for any events that have the potential to threaten lives, such as wildfires.As of now, the National Public Alerting System — publicly known as Alert Ready — issues emergency notifications for tornadoes and severe storms.A federal regulatory policy drafted in 2014 says alert messages should be issued for situations presenting “imminent or unfolding dangers to life.”The federal broadcast regulator said in the policy that this included, but was not limited to, tornadoes, forest fires, industrial disasters and tsunamis.Eric de Groot, an associate director with Environment Canada, had no comment on the question of expanding the weather alerting system to include event...

Puerto Rico police investigate deaths of 35 cats at horse racing complex

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in Puerto Rico are investigating the deaths of 35 cats at a horse racing facility, police said Tuesday. A security guard making the rounds at the Camarero Hippodrome in the northern town of Canovanas found the dead cats and called police, authorities said in a statement. A message left at the track complex was not immediately returned.A necropsy was underway on one of the cats to determine what killed the animals, police said, adding that poison was suspected.Puerto Rico approved a law in 2008 to prosecute animal cruelty. The law was signed in the U.S. territory a year after animal control workers seized dozens of dogs and cats from a public housing project in northern Puerto Rico and threw them over a bridge. Witnesses said at the time that many of the discarded animals were dead but some were still alive when they were tossed.The Associated Press

South Suburban Airport proposal process to take place

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

MONEE, Ill. — Local leaders are celebrating a new law which will force the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to review development proposals for the long talked-about South Suburban Airport, and decide if the project can move forward. WGN Investigates: Is decision day finally near for third Chicago airport? House Bill 2531 passed the House 72-40 on Mar. 16, and the Senate 33-20 on May 17. It was then signed by Gov. Pritzker on July 28. The subsequent law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024 and puts a six-month deadline in place for IDOT to establish a prequalification process and begin reviewing proposals to develop and maintain the airport.Tuesday, U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02) held a press conference, alongside several other area leaders, to celebrate the impending prequalification process and discuss the impact they believe an airport will have on the region.See the full press conference, plus a discussion with WGN investigative reporter Ben Bradley, in the video...

Chicago mutual aid group, CTU members help register migrant children for school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

CHICAGO — In a room at the 12th district CPD police station, volunteers with the mutual aid group, Todo Para Todos, and CTU members helped migrant parents enroll their children and teens in Chicago Public Schools on Monday."Kids who just arrived today, yesterday and this week are registered for school and get all the supplies that they need to set them up and welcome them here in Chicago," said Kathleen Murphy, a volunteer with Todo Para Todos, which translates to "Everything for Everyone."Those on hand also handed out backpacks stocked with school supplies, hoping to meet the academic needs of the City's newest, youngest residents. New school year, new challenges as CPS students return to classroom CPS has not said exactly how many migrant students have joined the district, but CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said the number of English learners has increased since last year.“We're [at] about 5,000 new English language learners," Martinez said. "Normally, we have about 3,000 because every ...

School bus crash in Ohio leaves 1 child dead, multiple injured, official says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

CLARK COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) – One child is dead and nearly two dozen were injured after a school bus crashed in Clark County, Ohio, on Tuesday morning, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.Around 8:16 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, police were notified of an accident on State Route 41 west of Ballentine Pike, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) reported.Sgt. Tyler Ross, with the OSHP Public Affairs Unit, said the school bus was traveling west on SR-41 when an eastbound-traveling 2010 Honda Odyssey crossed into the path of the school bus. Sgt. Ross reported that the school bus attempted to evade the Honda Odyssey, but made contact and then traveled off the right side of the road and overturned.One child was reportedly ejected from the bus and has succumbed to their injuries.A total of 52 children were on the bus at the time of the crash. At least 23 of them were taken to area hospitals: 13 by ambulance and 10 by personal means. One child is said to have...

Hollywood studio brings back mask mandate amid spike in COVID cases

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

(The Hill) -- Hollywood studio Lionsgate is returning to mask mandates for many of its employees amid rising COVID-19 cases reported in Los Angeles. In an internal email obtained by Deadline, the response manager for Lionsgate/Starz, Sommer McElroy, said that employees at its flagship office in Santa Monica, California, will be required to wear a medical-grade face covering, such as a surgical mask or a KN95 or N95 mask.Employees must wear the mask unless they are alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking in their work area, or if they are the only individual present in a large open workspace, according to the emailed memo. Tejano star Bobby Pulido is coming to Washington Studio employees must also perform a daily self-screening prior to coming to the office. If the employee is showing symptoms of COVID-19, they are required to stay home and notify McElroy. They must also stay home if they have traveled internationally in the last 10 days....

Father killed, another injured after explosion levels NC home of NFL player Caleb Farley

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WJZY) – An apparent explosion overnight leveled a multimillion-dollar home in North Carolina owned by NFL cornerback Caleb Farley, leaving his father dead and another person injured, authorities said.Authorities confirmed with Nexstar's WJZY that the person who was killed has been identified as Robert Matthews Farley, 61, who was staying in the home at the time of the incident. The injured person, a male who was seen leaving the property as the first emergency crews arrived at the scene, was transported to Atrium Health CMC with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Kent Greene, director of Fire Services and Emergency Management for Iredell. His identity has not yet been released.Robert Farley was recovered as crews were searching the debris, authorities said.The 6,391-square-foot house, located in Mooresville just off Lake Norman, was mostly reduced to rubble as of Tuesday morning. Farley was spotted at the scene with family Tuesday, speaking with authoriti...

Luckenbach street signs continuously stolen in Hill Country

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) -- Texas Department of Transportation officials and law enforcement say street signs in the Hill Country continue to be the targets of theft year after year and are asking people to stop. Texas neighborhood has ‘Friends’-themed street names Some of the most recent signs to be stolen include the Gillespie County line sign, the Fredericksburg marker sign, and the most popular sign to be stolen is anything with Luckenbach on it. Let's go to Luckenbach, TexasAuthorities believe signs directing traffic to historic Luckenbach Town Loop are stolen so they can be hung as decoration in homes. A working theory is that it could be college students wanting to hang something on their wall, or people just looking for a souvenir. It is a costly theft for the state. Glynda Chu, a spokesperson for TXDOT in Austin, said it cost at least $500 to replace each sign. "It's not free," Chu said. "It is costing taxpayers some money. It's also for people who are traveling. They...

Ramsey County leaders want a 11.5 percent levy hike over the next two year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

Ramsey County leaders proposed an 11.5 percent total increase over the next two years to the property tax levy that funds government services, but anticipated revenue from cannabis sales taxes could ease that hike in 2025.Ryan O’Connor, Ramsey County manager, presented his 2024-25 two-year budget proposal Tuesday to the board of commissioners. It calls for a 6.75 percent tax levy increase next year and a 4.75 percent hike in 2025.Those increases will help pay for a roughly 3.5 percent increase in the county’s spending plans for each of the next two years. The 2024 proposed budget is nearly $814 million and it will grow to $842 million in 2025.O’Connor noted that the budget proposal is the first since the coronavirus pandemic public emergency officially ended. It also is the first county spending plan since the influx of federal money sent to communities to address the pandemic winds down.“I view this budget as an inflection point,” O’Connor said. ...

Lanesborough Police looking for who destroyed William E. Laston Memorial Park's football field

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:22 GMT

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. (WWLP) - Last Wednesday evening, the football field at William E. Laston Memorial Park was vandalized. Chief Robert Derksen of the Lanesborough Police Department says a vehicle drove around the field with the sole intent of destroying it.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! This is the second time in the last few weeks that this has occurred. As a result of the first incident, police were able to identify the suspect vehicle, which appears to be a dark-colored four-door sedan with at least two occupants. Due to poor lighting in the area, this is the only information police have concerning the suspect vehicle.  The Lanesborough Police Department will continue to use all available resources to identify those responsible.  Anyone with information regarding this damage to Laston Park should contact the Lanesborough Police Department at 413-443-4107. Kayleigh Thomas is a digital report...