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Illinois reaction mixed over news Kim Foxx will not seek 3rd term in office

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

CHICAGO — Former prosecutors, lawmakers, the head of Chicago's police union and Illinois elected officials weighed in Tuesday following news that Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx will not run for re-election in 2024.Some praised Foxx's time in office, while others criticized her tenure. SEE ALSO | Kim Foxx says she will not seek re-election"I think the writing was on the wall and good riddance," said current Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara. The relationship between the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and the FOP was often icy."The rhetoric matters and when you’re literally minimizing criminal behavior, it sends a horrible signal," Catanzara said. "It’s a driver for a lot of things. The lawlessness even with these teen roving bands of 'I can do whatever I want to do, wherever I want to do it,' and there’s no repercussions."Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson released a statement Tuesday, praising some of Foxx's accomplishments during her tenure, including overtu...

Taliban kill mastermind of suicide bombing at Kabul airport that left 13 US troops dead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A ground assault by the Taliban killed the Islamic State militant who spearheaded the August 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that left 13 U.S. troops and about 170 Afghans dead during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Tuesday.Initially, neither the U.S. — nor apparently the Taliban — were aware that the mastermind was dead. He was killed during a series of battles early this month in southern Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Islamic State group’s affiliate, according to several officials.But in the past few days, U.S. intelligence confirmed “with high confidence” that the Islamic State leader had been killed, a senior administration official said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.Over the weekend, the U.S. military began to inform the parents of the 11 Marines, the sailor and the soldier who were killed in the blast at Abbey Gate, and they shared the information ...

VIDEO: Indiana deputy saves woman from choking on french fries

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

NOBLE COUNTY, Ind. -- A sheriff's deputy in Indiana is being praised a hero after responding to a call where he saved a driver from choking.According to the Noble County Sheriff Department, Deputy Jerry Weber overheard dispatch talking to a caller about a motorist who was possibly choking on Friday, April 21. VIDEO: Wisconsin police pull bobcat from inside car Upon arrival, Deputy Weber found the motorist choking and started to perform the Heimlich maneuver in an attempt to dislodge the obstruction and allow the motorist to breath. The deputy was successful and the driver was thankful."Job well done Jerry, you are truly an asset to the department and you make all of us very proud," Noble County Sheriff Department wrote on their Facebook.

Austin ISD looking to identify a development partner for teacher housing site

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rental prices in Austin could be impacting teacher retention in Austin ISD, but the district is hoping to help keep teachers with current and future programs and housing."In AISD, we have an exclusive deal with the Austin Apartment Association," Arnoldo Gutierrez, assistant superintendent of human capital with Austin ISD, said.In a partnership announced on KXAN earlier in April, the school district is working with the Austin Apartment Association to find apartments that will offer incentives for teachers. "From discounted rates to waving some fees," Gutierrez said. "It is something that is exclusive for our teachers in Austin ISD."According to Zumper, as of April 2023, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Austin was close to $1,600."We want our teachers to be able to live where they work," Amie Ortiz, interim executive director of employee effectiveness, experience and sustainability with AISD, said.Ortiz said the district is working on multiple ways to he...

Shelter-in-place order lifted at Austin Community College: Riverside campus

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Riverside campus of Austin Community College went under a shelter-in-place order briefly Tuesday night after reports of an armed person near campus.The school said on Twitter, as of 6 p.m., all campus doors will be closed and locked due to the reports.At 6:20 p.m., ACC said on Twitter the campus was cleared to resume normal activities after an investigation by local police.The ACC Riverside Campus is off Grove Boulevard in southeast Austin — between Pleasant Valley Road and Montopolis Drive. This developing story will be updated.

Austin woman gets diagnosed with Parkinson's, then plans 500-mile walk

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Wendy Gamble, 71, said when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it was a relief. “Nobody knew what [my] symptoms were,” Gamble said. “It was kind of nice, in a way, to finally put a name to it and say, ‘Okay, what can I do to fight this? What can I do to be proactive?’” she said.Though she was relieved to get the diagnosis, the journey ahead was uncertain. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, and how it progresses may vary. Gamble was treated at Ascension Seton, where she was deemed eligible for deep brain stimulation, a procedure where electrodes are implanted within an area of the brain to help reduce symptoms.Gamble decided to have the brain surgery, but only after she did something she always dreamed of doing. “So a group of us went to Spain last year, and we did the 500-mile trek across [the country],” she said. What is Parkison’s disease? Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheime...

'I'm angry:' Uvalde senator criticizes school safety bill

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- One day after lawmakers passed an unprecedented investment into school security with House Bill 3, the state senator representing Uvalde said it does not go far enough to address the policing and policy failures at Robb Elementary last year."There's not one bill coming out of either one of these bodies that's about accountability or transparency," State Sen. Roland Gutierrez said Tuesday. "These families will be stuck having to figure out what will happen for the next five, six, seven years."Gutierrez said the bill does not address the policies that families of those killed in Robb Elementary have been advocating for for almost a year. He called for the legislature to consider legislation that directly addresses gun violence, invoking the actions other conservative states have taken after mass shootings."Let's be very clear. I'm for anything that's going to make our schools safer," Gutierrez said. "But the three things that is going to really make our schools saf...

Texas softball moves into top-5 in 3 of 4 national polls after Oklahoma State sweep

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Fresh off a huge home sweep of Oklahoma State, the Texas Longhorns are now a top-five team in the country according to three national softball polls.The Longhorns slid into the No. 5 spot in the D1Softball.com, ESPN/USA Softball and NFCA/USA Today Coaches polls while moving up to No. 8 in the Softball America poll.Full D1Softball.com pollFull ESPN/USA Softball pollFull Softball America pollFull NFCA/USA Today Coaches pollThe Longhorns rose four spots in the D1Softball.com poll and two in all the other polls. Texas is currently second in the Big 12 Conference with an 11-4 mark behind top-ranked Oklahoma at 12-0. Texas has one Big 12 series left to play May 5-7 against Baylor. In the meantime, they'll have two nonconference games against UTSA on Wednesday and May 3 against Sam Houston State. Both games are at McCombs Field.Freshman catcher Reese Atwood crushed a 3-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to list to Longhorns past the Cowgirls 3-2 in t...

Minneapolis company with St. Paul history named master developer at old Hillcrest Golf Course site

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

Over the next five-to-seven years, a Minneapolis developer with a long history in St. Paul will oversee the creation of 1,000 new mixed-income residences at The Heights, the 112-acre future development formerly home to the Hillcrest Golf Course.The St. Paul Port Authority, which acquired the defunct country club and its golf course in 2019, announced that Sherman Associates will be the master developer at The Heights, working hand in hand with Johnny Opara and the JO Companies, as well as Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity on a wide range of rental and homeownership options.Plans include 150 Habitat for Humanity affordable homeownership opportunities, ranging from single-family homes to fourplexes — the largest single-site project that Twin Cities Habitat has ever embarked upon, according to officials with the St. Paul-based nonprofit.At 112 acres, the former Hillcrest grounds span almost as much land as Highland Bridge, the development sprouting where the Twin Cities Ford manuf...

With Grizzlies’ early playoff struggles, Timberwolves may regret play-in loss to Lakers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:03:35 GMT

DENVER — The differences of situation between the No. 7 seed and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this season were stark as Minnesota readied itself for another potential elimination game and the Lakers prepped themselves for a closeout game Wednesday in Memphis.There is no guarantee the Timberwolves would be in the same spot the Lakers are in had they squared off with second-seeded Memphis, but the Grizzlies have looked particularly vulnerable in the first-round series as injuries have decimated their front-court depth and star guard Ja Morant continues to push through a hand injury.Memphis certainly looks more vulnerable than Denver, who after a rough, frankly indifferent, close to the regular season has quickly re-established itself as a favorite to come out of the West.Minnesota split its regular-season series with the Grizzlies after going toe to toe with Memphis in the first round a year ago before eventually falling in six games after losing three separate double-digi...