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'I hope he made it through': Child hospitalized after fire breaks out in West Side apartment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A young boy was hospitalized on Friday morning after a fire on the city's West Side.As soon as Terrell Perkins heard about a fire at his mother's two-story apartment building at the corner of West Huron Street & North Laramie Avenue in Austin, he rushed to the scene."I just took off down Laramie and I just had to get here to make sure my mom was okay," Perkins said. Chicago man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for COVID relief fraud scheme While Perkins' mother was able to escape the blaze uninjured, a young boy who was pulled from the burning apartment by firefighters was in need of immediate medical attention."When I got here, there was a kid on the ground being resuscitated by the EMT. I'm not sure how it went," Perkins said. "I know they did rush him in an ambulance and took off. He was unconscious."The boy, who officials say is under 10 years old was rushed to a hospital on the Near West Side in serious-to-critical condition.Residents in the damaged building ...

Despite recent rain, Buda enters Stage 3 drought restrictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

BUDA, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Buda officially entered Stage 3 drought restrictions Monday. According to the city's water conservation page, the rain that fell in December was not enough to keep the region out of extreme drought conditions. LIST: What are the curent water restrictions in your city? "We are just not seeing inflow into the rivers, into the creeks, so our lakes aren't filling back up," said Blake Neffendorf, City of Buda public works director.Despite the recent rain, it hasn't made a dent for many communities hoping to end water restrictions."It's definitely a serious issue," Neffendorf said. "We are at about 20 inches of rain behind over the past two years."Neffendorf said the majority of the water comes from Canyon Lake where the lake is about 60% full, but they rely on the Edward's Aquifer as well. Exceptional drought declared by Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District "We get about 25% of our water from the Edwards Aquifer so there is an impact ...

Viking rule out right tackle Brian O’Neill after ankle injury setback

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

Unless the Vikings make the playoffs, right tackle Brian O’Neill won’t play again until next season. After missing practice this week with an ankle injury, O’Neill has officially been ruled out by the Vikings for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.This is a direct result of O’Neill pushing himself to stay in the game against the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve. Never mind that he was battling an ankle injury as the Vikings were getting smoked in what ended up being a 33-10 loss. No amount of pain was going to be enough for O’Neill to leave the field.“He very easily could have and nobody would have questioned it,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Just battled through it. He wanted to be out there with his guys regardless of at any point in time of that game what the score was. That’s why he’s our captain.”Though he tried to get enough treatment to be available, O’Neill will ultima...

Minnesota K-12 ethnic studies standards under review after judge finds ‘legal deficiency’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

A judge has found a “legal defect” in an ethnic studies requirement included in proposed new social studies standards for Minnesota schools, though his decision is under further review.For the past three years, the Minnesota Department of Education has been pushing for new standards in K-12 schools which would include ethnic studies along with other traditional social studies topics like history and civics.The state is required by law to revise its school academic standards every decade, and in the current round of revisions, a proposed requirement for ethnic studies in schools across the state has been politically controversial.Supporters say ethnic studies standards will help students gain a broader understanding of the world and develop critical thinking skills, while critics have described them as a Trojan Horse for radical leftist ideology.In a decision announced Friday, Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman found a legal issue with the ethnic studies component, though the court...

Why Vikings will roll with Josh Dobbs as backup quarterback vs. Lions over Jaren Hall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

After naming veteran quarterback Nick Mullens the starter this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed that journeyman Josh Dobbs will serve as the backup when the Vikings play the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Ford Field.“I think Josh has kind of been able to go about this week in a process of getting a little bit more reps here and there,” O’Connell said. “Just spending a little bit of time with (quarterbacks coach) Chris (O’Hara) and (assistant quarterbacks coach) Grant (Udinski), making sure he’s dialed in and ready to go.”It’s the first time Dobbs will be active for a game since being benched last month. As for rookie quarterback Jaren Hall, he will be inactive and only able to enter the game for emergency purposes if both Mullens and Dobbs go down with injuries.Asked about the decision, O’Connell insinuated that it had less to do with Dobbs and his continued progression in the offense and more to do with Hall and his co...

AG Garland pledges to reduce 'all crime' after stats show drop in violent crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The Department of Justice is pledging to do even more to reduce all crime after new FBI statistics showed a drop in violent crime across the country."This department and our state and local partners will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! While FBI data shows crimes like murder, rape and aggravated assault are down, the outlier remains property crime.  Car theft alone jumped more than 7% in 2022.During their first press conference of the year Garland and his Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco vowed to enhance their strategy."…that means more joint federal state and local to target violent criminals in putting more cops on the beat,” Monaco said. "This is not a time to relax on our efforts, we have so much more to do,” Garland said. Albany police investigate firs...

US adds 216,000 jobs in December, better than expected

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in December."We should not bet against the American consumer, and you should not bet against the American economy," Clement Jackson, White House economic advisor said.216,000 jobs were added last month, the latest sign the American labor market remains resilient even in the face of still-high interest rates. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the hospitality sector added 40,000 jobs in December."This is above the kinds of job growth you need to accommodate population growth, so this is a healthy number," he added.President Joe Biden called 2023 a great year for the American worker."I won’t stop fighting for American workers and American families."While the White House welcomes the news of a positive jobs report, many Americans say they are not feeling the effects. USPS to host job fairs in the Capital Region "We'...

Charges reduced for ex-Jefferson County deputy accused in deadly crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. - A former Jefferson County deputy no longer faces felony charges in a crash that led to the death of his wife after prosecutors amended his charges Friday. Investigators say Colby McCreary was driving in the early-morning hours of April 30, 2023, on Interstate 55 near Festus when he crashed. His wife, Savannah McCreary, was a passenger and died in the collision. The Festus Police Department investigated the crash, then handed it over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. How much snow will St. Louis get on Friday or next week? Colby was arrested and charged with two felonies, DWI resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter, on June 6. Nearly half a year later, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office amended his charges to one misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated.Prosecutors say the Missouri State Highway Patrol has completed a full crash reconstruction report since Colby's original charges. The report determined that neither Colby n...

Lawmakers must renew tax to fund Missouri's Medicaid program this session

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Besides the budget, Missouri lawmakers are tasked with renewing an important multi-billion tax this year that funds the state's Medicaid program for more than one million people. The Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA) program is a tax collected from medical providers like hospitals to support Medicaid, bringing in more than $4 billion. The last time the General Assembly was charged with renewing this crucial tax, lawmakers came back for a special session because they missed the May deadline. "There's no use in wasting any more tax dollars than we have to," Gov. Mike Parson said. "I just say get in there, get it done, and move on." SUV drives through home in south St. Louis County It's a key piece of funding for Missouri's Medicaid program. If it's not renewed, it could put the state's budget in jeopardy. "The FRA is an interesting conversation because nobody outside the building has any clue what it is relative to how big of a deal it is to ...

Request denied to dismiss lawsuit over Wentzville SD transgender bathroom policy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:37 GMT

WENTZVILLE, Mo. - A court denied a request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey against the Wentzville School District over a transgender bathroom policy.The lawsuit claims the district violated the state's "Open Meetings Law" by excluding parents from discussions about bathroom and locker room access for transgender students. How much snow will St. Louis get on Friday or next week? The board met last July to draft the policy in private, which defined how a transgender student could notify the district and request special restroom accommodations. Some residents are criticizing the board, saying they shouldn’t hide controversial issues from parents and taxpayers. Others say the two members who leaked the private conversation violated board policies and should resign.