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Contentious budget talks at Spotsylvania Co. schools end with cuts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

Budget fights at Spotsylvania County Public Schools in Virginia ended Monday night with the new fiscal year’s budget narrowly passing. While many positions were spared after heated debate, some were still eliminated.Ultimately, the school board passed the fiscal year 2024 budget in a 4-3 vote.Last month, Superintendent Mark Taylor detailed options for cuts. They included the possibility of cutting 60 teachers, eliminating the Governor’s School Program, and even doing away with school libraries, which are required by law in Virginia.But those cuts were ultimately left out of the final budget. The new budget cuts about a dozen support staff, like speech pathologists, social workers and psychologists.The board debated and experimented with the budget for nearly three hours, with a goal of keeping as many elementary and special education paras as possible.The recommended cuts included axing all 23 elementary paras, and 15 of the 30 special education paras.The board cut five elemen...

AP sources: Pirates, OF Reynolds agree to 8-year deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds is sticking with the Pittsburgh Pirates.The veteran outfielder has agreed to an eight-year deal worth $106.75 million, three people with knowledge of the agreement told the Associated Press. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was not official pending a physical.The contract is the richest in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates and gives the club another cornerstone to build around as it tries to emerge from four straight last-place finishes in the NL Central.The 28-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 and is hitting .294 with five home runs and 18 RBIs this season. The team is off to a surprising 16-7 start heading into a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Tuesday night.The deal comes less than five months after Reynolds requested a trade. Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington insisted the team was willing to do what it takes to keep Reynolds in the fold, and both sides made progress toward an agre...

OPINIÓN | La muerte de migrantes en Ciudad Juárez es consecuencia de la política migratoria de López Obrador, Trump y Biden

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

Nota del editor: Jorge G. Castañeda es colaborador de CNN. Fue secretario de Relaciones Exteriores de México de 2000 a 2003. Actualmente es profesor de la Universidad de Nueva York y su libro más reciente, “America Through Foreign Eyes”, fue publicado por Oxford University Press en 2020. Las opiniones expresadas en este comentario son únicamente del autor. Puedes encontrar más artículos de opinión en CNNe.com/opinion.(CNN Español) — La trágica e innecesaria muerte de 40 migrantes en Ciudad Juárez hace algunas semanas es consecuencia de una serie de decisiones de política pública tomadas por los Gobiernos de México y de Estados Unidos. No se trata de un accidente, en el sentido de que era imprevisible o inevitable. De ninguna manera. La tragedia proviene de la política migratoria puesta en práctica por los presidentes Andrés Manuel López Obrador, por una parte, y Donald Trump y Joe Biden, por la otra.El origen del problema está en la primera reunión celebrada entre un represent...

Providence Village announce new board member, first tenant at Motherhouse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

Taking steps towards the vision of the Sisters of Providence to create a central hub of community service organizations, Providence Village Incorporated (PVI) made two announcements that will help the Village move closer to meeting its goals. PVI announced that Bhavana Varma has joined the organization as its’ seventh board member, attending her first board meeting on April 17.Varma has served as the President and CEO of United Way KFL&A for 24 years, but in February announced she’d be stepping down from that role in August.In a media release, Varma says she’s excited to become a part of achieving the vision laid out by the Sisters of Providence and feels that the work ahead can make a significant difference on the community.“I am honoured to be invited to be a part of this exciting initiative that will have such a positive impact and I look forward to working with this wonderful Board and staff team,” Varma said.PVI President and CEO Laurie French ...

7 people have won at least $1M in Colorado Lottery this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Have you ever played the Colorado Lottery and wondered, "Does anyone ever win big?"Well, the answer is yes. In fact, our state has had seven $1 million or more winners in 2023. How this Colorado man plans to spend his $5.5M winning lotto ticket Here is a look at the winners in order of most recent first:$3 millionOn April 6, Ryan P. from Philadelphia won the top prize of $3 million on a $50 Platinum Riches scratch game. The ticket was purchased at Sav-O-Mart in Denver.$2.6 millionOn March 30, James C. won $2.6 million playing the Colorado Lotto+ game. He purchased the winning ticket at Smoker Friendly in Woodland Park.$1 millionOn March 9, Dustin R. won $1 million on a $20 scratch ticket game called, "$1,000,000 Jackpot." The ticket was bought at Maverik in Thornton.Dustin said he plans to use his prize to invest and travel, according to the Colorado Lottery.$11.5 millionOn March 2, Mohamed Y. won $11.5 million playing the Colorado Lotto+ game. He bought his winni...

Colorado to become 1st to pass ‘right to repair’ for farmers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Colorado is set to become the first state to ensure farmers can fix their own machines with the governor’s expected signing of a “right to repair” law Tuesday, which forces manufacturers to provide their customers with the necessary manuals, tools, parts and software.Colorado, a state partly blanketed in ranches and farmland, took the lead on the issue following a nationwide outcry from farmers that manufacturers prevent them from fixing their own machines — from behemoth combines to thin tractors — when they break down. Farmers say it forces them to wait precious days for a servicer to arrive, a delay that could mean a hail storm decimates a crop or a farmer misses the ideal planting window. 11 states consider ‘right to repair’ for farming equipment Lawmakers in at least 10 other states have introduced similar legislation, including in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, is expected to sign the ...

When are the 2023 Yoga on the Rocks dates?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

MORRISON, Colo. (KDVR) — Time to get your zen on and start your day with a workout in an iconic venue. Yoga on the Rocks returns to Red Rocks this summer. The 11th season of Yoga on the Rocks is back and will run from June through August on Saturday mornings at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. “It’s not officially summer in Colorado until yogis are doing downward dog at sunrise, and sunset brings up a film favorite,” said Red Rocks spokesman Brian Kitts. Red Rocks releases 2023 Film on the Rocks lineup Yoga on the Rocks gives yogis of all experiences an exhilarating workout to start off their Saturday. ScheduleYoga on the Rocks with The River YogaSaturday, June 3 with instructor Marisa KowalskiSaturday, June 10 with instructor Meghann VolzSaturday, June 17 with instructor Susanna BogardusSaturday, June 24 with instructor Carolyn BryanYoga on the Rocks with Buffalo + SparrowSaturday, July 8 with instructor Elaine Pages. Class is bilingual and taught in Spanish and EnglishSaturday, ...

2 dead, 1 critical after furniture warehouse evacuated due to hazardous material leak; Investigation underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

Two people have died and one person is in critical condition after an unknown chemical leak at a furniture warehouse caused an evacuation. The Broward Sheriff’s Office and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue arrived at the scene of the Baer’s Furniture outlet, at 1589 NW 12th Ave., Tuesday morning. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene as people were rushed out of the warehouse by fire rescue. People are now being kept blocks away from the area.A HAZMAT team arrived at the scene to find the source of the leak. According to BSO, a small number of people who have been in the building started to feel sick in the last few days. The three victims went to the hospital on their own accord after feeling sick. Authorities are reassuring the public that this incident is not a threat to the area or the community. An investigation is underway. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Sudan conflict: UK evacuating nationals amid shaky cease-fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak ordered the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan amid a shaky cease-fire between warring sides in the northeast African nation.“We have started contacting nationals directly and providing routes for departure out of the country,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted early Tuesday.The U.K. government has faced some criticism for the speed of its help to British nationals, but has insisted it cannot safely escort people out of the country without a pause in hostilities.A power struggle between Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemeti,” has plunged Sudan into fierce fighting. Around 500 people have died so far, with fighting across the African nation.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced overnight that the two groups had agreed to a 72-hour nationwide cease-fire, beginning at midnight. On Tuesday the RSF claimed that the S...

Maine governor signs bill making to-go alcohol permanent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:26:49 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s pandemic rule allowing to-go cocktails is going to be sticking around.Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed into law a bill Monday evening to make booze-to-go from restaurants and bars permanent, joining more then a dozen states that allow carry-out mixed drinks.To-go cocktails gained popularity nationwide during the pandemic when restaurants and bars were shut down. Maine’s new law requires those drinks to be labeled and placed in the trunk or non-passenger compartments of a vehicle.An executive order issued by Mills in 2020 permitted restaurants to sell and deliver beverages if accompanied by a food order, while distilleries could sell liquor without food. Last year, a law extended to-go drinks, including delivery and take-out. The law is now permanent.All told, 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to permanently allow cocktails to-go and 14 others have enacted temporary laws since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to...