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Gary man gets 2 life sentences in bank robbery where guard slain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

GARY, Ind. (AP) — A northwestern Indiana man will spend the rest of his life in prison for his role in the fatal shooting of a security guard during a bank robbery.Hailey Gist-Holden, 28, of Gary was convicted by a jury and sentenced to two consecutive life terms, the U.S. attorney's office in Northern Indiana said Friday.Guard Richard Castellana, 55, of Tinley Park, Illinois, was ambushed and shot outside First Midwest Bank in Gary in June 2021. About $9,000 was taken in the robbery. Driver dies after falling out of Jeep, being struck by 2 vehicles on Dan Ryan Expressway Gist-Holden was arrested about a week later near Valdosta, Georgia, after leading law enforcement there on a high-speed car chase. The government alleges he carried out the robbery to bail out his semipro football team, the Illini Panthers.Authorities said Gist-Holden needed money to pay his players, their hotel bills and rent on his Gary home. They alleged Gist-Holden enlisted James King Jr., one of his football...

SCOTUS temporarily blocks restrictions on abortion pill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it was temporarily keeping in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug, while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge.In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court asked both sides to weigh in by Tuesday over whether lower court rulings restricting the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug, mifepristone, should be allowed to take effect while the case works its way through federal courts. The order suggests the court will decide that issue by late Wednesday.The justices are being asked at this point only to determine what parts of an April 7 ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, as modified by an appellate ruling Wednesday, can be in force while the case continues. The order expires late Wednesday, suggesting the court will decide that issue by then.The court finds itself immersed in a new fight involving abortion less than a year after conse...

Phase I of Texas Capitol Mall is now complete

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The first phase of the Capitol Mall project was completed, and the mall between 16th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is now open. However, it's not a street anymore. It's a public space with grass and walkways.With the return of the Longhorns spring game this weekend, it also means the return of football fans and tailgating, but there's a big change on where you'll be able to party.“We don't allow tailgating on the Capitol grounds, and we won't allow tailgating here on the main part of the Capitol Mall,” Chris Currens with the Texas State Preservation Board said. “Again, there are lots of other spaces and opportunities for tailgating in the Capitol complex, but this isn't monetized space.”The Capitol Mall will become a civic space for several events. However, the state preservation board is waiting to schedule events until the landscaping has matured and some additional construction is completed.

City of Austin to conduct Disaster Preparedness survey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As we get deeper into severe weather season here in Central Texas, the City of Austin said it wanted to make sure it could respond to potential disasters for everyone.Austin Public Health and the Office of Resilience began conducting a community survey on public health emergency response.Teams began going door-to-door for the community assessment for public health emergency response in the Eastern Crescent of the city and Travis County, which is mainly east of Interstate 35.APH said there are health questions and weather questions about emergency preparedness, such as having a preparedness kit, as well as if they have ever received text alerts.The teams started Friday, and they are going to continue Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda, feeling lingering soreness, on board with plan to skip start

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

NEW YORK — Kenta Maeda expected the Twins would skip his start from time to time this season as he comes back from the Tommy John surgery that wiped out all of his 2022 season.The right-handed pitcher just didn’t know when it would be.“Did I expect it to be this early? No, but it just happened to be,” Maeda said through interpreter Daichi Sekizaki.It happened to be this early — Maeda originally was supposed to pitch on Saturday but the Twins skipped him, called up Minnesota native Louie Varland to pitch Friday and pushed Tyler Mahle back a day — because of some lingering soreness after his last start.Maeda left his first start in Miami in the sixth inning after shaking out his arm and the Twins said at the time that he was fatigued. His stuff was slightly down in his last start, which came on April 10, and he said there’s some “general soreness, tightness” since then.“It was a collective decision,” Maeda said of skipping his start. “I was very involved. I spoke with (man...

Cohoes closer to having long-term ambulance service

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

COHOES, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The city of Cohoes is one step closer to signing a long-term contract with an ambulance service. According to Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler, the city is looking to approve a longer-term contract with Ambulnz. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! At the end of January, Empire Ambulance, which served the city for more than 30 years, announced that its contract was bought out by another company and could no longer be Cohoes' ambulance service. The city then signed a short term, month-by-month contract with Ambulnz.While Empire provided service to Cohoes without charging the city, the contract with Ambulnz has been charging the city $50,000 a month. In February, Cohoes put out a request for proposals for ambulance services. Cleanup, investigation continues after fatal East Greenbush fire While the city ultimately chose Ambulnz out of all the other proposals in a meeting at the end of March, Mohawk Ambulance, wh...

Skidmore resident assistants rally to unionize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A couple hundred students came out to Case Green park at Skidmore College to hear what resident assistants had to say on their fight to unionize. Former and present RAs, Von Richardson and Anna Brooks, lead the rally to the praise of their peers. "I love my RAs, they're awesome. They're here for us, and I support them," said Skidmore student Lucia Ramnarine. Skidmore resident assistants plan to unionize Advocates say unionizing will lead to Skidmore's conditions improving for the student body and student workers. "To have a healthy Skidmore Community we need RAs that are compensated for the grueling work that they do," explained Skidmore student Adrian Antonioli. "This rally is really here to just celebrate all of us, and for us to come together in solidarity to realize we deserve better," described Richardson.Brooks explains the next steps the RAs will take when it comes to unionizing. "We are going to negotiate with the college on what date the ...

California power companies roll out fixed-rate bill proposal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

If you earn more, you pay more.That’s the basic idea behind sweeping changes proposed by California’s three largest power companies that will impact your electricity bill.Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric submitted a joint proposal to the state’s Public Utilities Commission last week that outlines the new rate structure. It follows last year’s passage of Assembly Bill 205 which requires a fixed rate and generally simpler bills.Under the proposal:Households earning less than $28,000 a year would pay a fixed charge of $15 a month on their electric bills in Edison and PG&E territories and $24 a month in SDG&E territory.Households with annual income from $28,000 - $69,000 would pay $20 a month in Edison territory, $34 a month in SDG&E territory and $30 a month in PG&E territory.Households earning from $69,000 - $180,000 would pay $51 a month in Edison and PG&E territories and $73 a month in SDG&E territory.Th...

Heavy traffic jams up Southern California freeways as Coachella music festival kicks off

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

As the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks off this weekend, major traffic jams are expected as tens of thousands of concertgoers flock to Indio.The heaviest traffic is expected on the 10 Freeway towards the Coachella Valley music fans gear up to see headliners Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, Blink-182, Frank Ocean and more over two sold-out weekends.Locals hailing from L.A., Orange County and beyond should expect slow travel times and gusty winds along the way.The Riverside County Transportation Commission will have a road assistance program with tow trucks on standby to help drivers stranded on the highway near the Empire Polo Club.California Highway Patrol officers from neighboring areas will be on hand to direct traffic along the 10 Freeway and around the venue.“We’re anticipating a lot of traffic like we always do,” said CHP. “We’re basically all hands on deck. All available CHP officers will be working. Monday is our busiest day. We will have patrol officers on the freew...

LA Weekly’s 2023 Festival Survival Kit will Get you Ready to Cut a Rug

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:45 GMT

Festival season is officially here! Slap that Out of Office on your email, throw that hastily packed bag into your trunk, and get ready for a weekend of fun in the sun listening to your favorite bangers or sipping cocktails with your pals. We know all that partying can be draining, and thankfully, LA Weekly has got you covered — our 2023 Festival Survival Kit has all you need to keep you hydrated and lubricated, your hunger satiated, your hair tamed and your spirits (and your mind) high.Here are our picks for the best products and brands to help you survive this festival season:Liquid IVLiquid I.V. is a wellness company based in Los Angeles, CA, featuring great-tasting, non-GMO, science-backed electrolyte drink mixes that enhance the rapid absorption of water and other key ingredients. Giving back is at the core of Liquid I.V., to date we’ve donated over 36 million servings to people in need and are committed to donating a total of 150 million servings over the next decade. Th...