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District attorney threatens to charge officials in California’s capital over homelessness response

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Tensions are rising in California’s capital city as the Sacramento district attorney threatened to file charges against city officials over their handling of the homelessness crisis, saying they are too lenient in their approach and are failing to enforce the rules.District Attorney Thien Ho on Monday threatened to press criminal charges against city officials under state public nuisance laws if they don’t implement a slew of changes within 30 days, including a daytime camping ban where homeless people have to put their belongings in storage between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.Ho was elected in 2022 after vowing on the campaign trail to address the city’s homelessness crisis. He began his public fight with City Hall officials last month when he launched an investigation into officials’ conduct. Ho said Sacramento city officials are “inconsistent” in enforcing rules, including an ordinance to keep sidewalks clear of encampments, resulting in “an...

Postal Service reduces air cargo by 90% over 2 years as part of cost-cutting effort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service has reduced its volume of shipments by aircraft by 90% over two years, putting the service on course to save $1 billion in annual transportation costs, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday.Shifting packages and envelopes from air cargo to ground transportation was part of DeJoy’s larger plan to improve the Postal Service’s financial health.More than 95% of first-class mail and 95% of first-class packages are currently moving through the postal service’s ground transportation system, he said.It is part of DeJoy’s broader effort to reduce operating costs, increase revenue from packages, and ensure timely deliveries, along with adjusting postage costs to mitigate inflation and expanding delivery points over the next 17 months.Those efforts will have to continue after the Postal Service on Tuesday reported a projected $6 billion in unplanned costs this year because of inflation, unexpected retirement costs and other...

West Side pastor offers reward for info leading to arrest of 14-year-old cousin's murderer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO — For the second time in less than a month, a Chicago pastor has lost a loved one to gun violence.Reverend Paul Jakes Jr, pastor for the New Tabernacle of Faith Baptist Church in Humboldt Park, held a press conference Tuesday afternoon alongside US Representative Danny Davis (7th District) to talk about the death of his cousin, 14-year-old Damarion Jakes.According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 2700 block of West Van Buren Street in East Garfield Park around 6 p.m. on Saturday.When officers arrived on scene, they found an unidentified male, approximately 14 years of age, who had been shot twice in the head."My heart goes out to the Jake's family and all the families in Chicago and in the nation who have lost love ones to senseless violence," Davis said at the press conference.The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition at the time of the incident, and later died. More from Julian: Man hits hole-in-one a...

9-year-old hopes to change Village of Oswego flag

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 9-year-old boy hopes to spark some change to the Oswego flag after he pitched a new design to the village board.In March, Caden Stagl discovered a passion for the world’s flags on a family trip to Minnesota while reading a knowledge encyclopedia."(Caden was) quizzing us the whole way there whole way back and started memorizing them falling in love with flags," Caden's mother Jody Stagl said. "We’re trying to figure out who he belongs to because of neither of us really likes flags or know any of them but he knows all of them – he does."But a few months back, Caden decided his hometown flag of Oswego needed an update."It just says Village of Oswego and when it was founded," Caden Stagl said. "You’re looking at this flag and you’re thinking I can do better? So what do you decide to do? Hmmmm – make a new one!"So that’s what he did while putting some careful thought into the new design."The blue and orange is the high schools…the fox river…just wanted it that way…freedom fo...

Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge sentenced rapper Tory Lanez to 10 years in prison Tuesday for shooting and wounding hip-hop superstar Megan Thee Stallion.Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford handed down the sentence to the 31-year-old Lanez, who was convicted in December of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.The sentence brings an end to a dramatic trial that created a cultural firestorm in the hip-hop community, churning up issues including the reluctance of Black victims to speak to police, gender politics in hip-hop, online toxicity, protecting Black women and the ramifications of misogynoir, a particular brand of misogyny Black women experience.Herriford said it was “difficult to reconcile” the kind, charitable person and good father many people described Lanez as being during the sentencing hearing with th...

Arizona woman arrested, accused of poisoning Air Force husband's coffee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

TUCSON, Az. (NewsNation) — An Arizona woman woke up in jail Tuesday after being accused of trying to kill her husband by poisoning his coffee.Melody Felicano Johnson, 39, was indicted by a grand jury in Pima County last month. She was charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted assault and adding poison to food or drink. Her husband, Roby Johnson, told police he believed his wife wanted to collect death benefits.Roby, who serves in the U.S. Air Force, knew something was off when his coffee started to taste different. So, he set up some cameras to try to see what was going on.Roby told investigators that he started noticing his coffee tasted bad in March while they were stationed in Germany. He then pretended to drink it for months. ‘Bed rotting’: Some call it self care, but experts urge caution According to the complaint, Roby said he bought chemical testing strips, the kind people use to test the chemical balance of a swimming pool. The results of those tests found high...

Downtown Austin businesses pitch in to hire private security

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In efforts to deter things like illegal drug activity and unruly behavior near Sixth and Brazos Street downtown, a group of businesses - including Stream Realty, the Littlefield Building and The Driskill - have hired private security guards to patrol the sidewalks, according to Stream's attorney Richard Suttle."The best news I've heard in four years," Jesse Fortney, owner of Gnar Bar, said. Gnar Bar is near the intersection where security guards are patrolling. IN-DEPTH: Challenges of hiring private security for downtown Austin businesses The businesses hired the guards from Next Level Security. The guards patrol the intersection of Sixth and Brazos from the corner to the alleys. KXAN spoke with one of the guards off camera, who said their primary goal is to break up large groups of people experiencing homelessness who gather on the street. The Austin Police Department said it has been made of "several areas where quality-of-life crimes are occurring," and such di...

APD searching for suspect accused of assaulting older woman in south Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking the public's help identifying a suspect accused of assaulting an older woman in south Austin last month, according to a news release from APD.Shortly before 10 a.m., June 14, officers responded to the 2500 block of Wallingwood Drive in reference to the assault, the release said.The suspect assaulted the woman when he was told he was trespassing at an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting on Wallingwood Drive, according to police.The Austin Police Department seeks the public's help in locating a suspect accused of assaulting an older woman in south Austin. | Courtesy Austin Police DepartmentThe suspect is described as:White man30-40 years of age6’ tallThin build, approximately 150 lbsShort/shaved dirty blonde hairLast seen wearing a long shirt and dark pantsAnyone with any information should contact APD's Child Abuse unit at (512) 974-6880. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by ...

St. Paul may have $6 million in funding for downtown Pedro Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

In downtown St. Paul, a long-stalled park project could benefit from a domino funding effect following a major cash infusion from the state.When the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, or DEED, recently smiled on the prospect of funding a new public recreation center in St. Paul’s North End, the $6 million state grant created a bit of a ripple effect, freeing up some money already allocated for the North End project from the city’s general fund and capital improvement bonds.And what kind of parks project could use $6 million? In two words: Pedro Park.St. Paul’s Capital Improvement Budget Committee is scheduled to meet Aug. 14, and two back-to-back items on the published agenda call for approving budget changes that would shift $6 million in construction and development funding from the North End Community Center — which is already fully funded — over to the long-stalled construction of Pedro Park off 10th and Robert streets.The ...

St. Cloud lawmaker charged with DWI after July arrest in east-central Minnesota

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

A St. Cloud lawmaker has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor DWI in connection with his July arrest in east-central Minnesota.State Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, will appear in Kanabec County District Court on Sept. 6.Wolgamott faces one fourth-degree DWI charge and one DWI charge for having a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.08.Minnesota state Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud (Minnesota House of Representatives)According to a Monday statement from the Kanabec County attorney’s office, Wolgamott’s BAC was measured at 0.09.Just before his July 7 arrest, Kanabec County dispatchers received a complaint involving a motorist drinking in a liquor store parking lot, according to the State Patrol incident report. At about 6 p.m., a trooper located the car on Highway 23 in Arthur Township.The car appeared to be weaving within its lane, according to an incident report, and the trooper made a traffic stop and Wolgamott was identified as the driver.Wolgamott was placed u...