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MAP: More than 2,800 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 2,800 acres have burned in wildfires across Central Texas so far this year, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.A total of 30 fires have burned 2,897 acres in the 15-county KXAN viewing area, as of Aug. 11. How far behind normal are rainfall totals this year? KXAN is keeping track of wildfires this year. Follow along with the map and database below. We'll keep them updated as new information becomes available. Fires that are still uncontained are red on the map. Evacuation checklist: What to grab when evacuating The table below ranks all the fires in our area this year from largest to smallest. Click on one of the column headers to change how the fires are ranked.We're also keeping track of which counties have burn bans in effect. Click here to see the latest update.

Golden Thyme coffee shop in St. Paul to get a new owner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

When Mychael Wright’s brother Thomas came home from Europe with an idea to open a coffee shop his brothers laughed.“{This} was well before Starbucks, Caribou, all those,” Wright said.Golden Thyme Coffee and Cafe on Selby Avenue in St. Paul is seen Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Pioneer Press: Andy Rathbun)A few years later as he was preparing the first location for Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe he drew ridicule for the idea.Mychael Wright opened Golden Thyme on March 1, 2000 and, despite doubters along the way, it’s approaching its 24th year in operation.In 2019 it moved to the current location on Selby Avenue. On Sept. 9, he will announce the new owners during JazzFest, the music event the shop has long sponsored.His plan after leaving the coffee shop is to start consulting to help others grow businesses. He said he also wants to work with people to improve the service industry through better retention and benefits like insurance and paid sick leave.When “To...

Inside St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s proposal to buy $100 million in medical debt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

While unveiling his 2024 city budget address on Thursday, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said he aims to devote $1.1 million toward buying off upwards of $100 million in medical debt associated with St. Paul residents, a one-time purchase made possible by leftover federal American Rescue Plan funding.The mayor invited major healthcare institutions in the city to sign on, and noted the proposal had drawn interest from Allina Health, parent company to United Hospital.In an interview this week, Carter likened medical debt to fines for overdue library books — a disincentive to participate in the system.“They don’t make people bring their books back. They make people stay away from our libraries,” he said. “Medical debt works the same as library debt. It keeps people away from the doctor. … That’s a public health crisis for us, one that we as a community cannot afford.”But how would medical debt relief work in St. Paul, exactly, and why is it...

Education funds for migrant children undetermined

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

NORTH COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Some taxpayers are wondering how the education for children of asylum seekers will be funded. Local officials said they have funds to get the children started but need to monitor the situation closely.North Colonie Central School District Superintendent Kathleen Skeals said for now they have the capacity to get the new group started this fall. “So initially we are ready to go. I think we have appropriate resources but it is something we will have to continue to watch and monitor,” said Skeals. She credits Mohonasen Central School District for paving the way and helping them get answers from DocGo.“I have to say we have been helped a lot by our partners at Mohonasen. You know they have a similar situation and they’ve been a little bit ahead of us, so thanks to them we have been able to get some names of some contacts. I will say we have had probably an easier time with it than they did in getting information,” said Skeals.Mohonasen Central Sch...

Saint Louis Zoo launches new effort to save elephants from wildlife trafficking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The Saint Louis Zoo has launched a new effort to save elephants from wildlife trafficking known as "Toss the Tusk."The zoo hosted "Toss the Tusk" on Friday ahead of World Elephant Day on Saturday. The effort encouraged visitors to participate in a fight to save elephants by handing over unwanted ivory pelts, animal artifacts, or parts of endangered animals. Zookeepers will hand over these items to federal law enforcement for safekeeping. St. Louis County prosecutor not licensed attorney, must resubmit 114 cases The effort was also meant to teach families about conservation and ivory trade within the United States. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also joined the Saint Louis Zoo in the effort. "Wildlife trafficking is a serious crime that impacts elephants and other imperiled species throughout the world," said Martha Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The Service is committed to working with the AZA, WT...

Bar K to expand nationwide with 100 locations by 2027

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS—Bar K has made a deal with Diversified Partners to purchase the dog-friendly bar chain. Currently, there are three Bar K locations: Kansas City, St. Louis, and Oklahoma City. Diversified Partners is preparing an accelerated expansion plan and is set to open 100 new locations by 2027.The main Bar K site is in Kansas City, and it opened in 2018. Since then, it has served more than 500,000 people and 350,000 dogs. Pets+ Magazine named this business "America's Coolest" in 2019.Diversified Partners plans to grow by opening 100 new Bar K locations in big cities in the U.S. and Canada by 2027 as part of its expansion plans. St. Louis County prosecutor not licensed attorney, must resubmit 114 cases Markets will include: Atlanta, Austin, Texas, Baltimore, Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Texas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Florida, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Tennessee, Orlando, ...

“Banking while Black”: Woman sues Chase bank alleging discrimination at Aurora branch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

A Black woman is suing JP Morgan Chase Bank and one of its managers over allegations that the branch manager in Aurora discriminated against her because of her race and called the cops on her “merely for engaging in routine and mundane chores the rest of us do daily.”Jeanetta Vaughn has been a Chase bank customer since 2019, and on June 9, 2022, she went into the branch location at 1101 South Buckley Road to pick up some checks, she said. She had been sitting in the lobby for less than two minutes when branch manager and vice president Trina Pelech, a white woman, approached her and loudly asked if she could help her, according to the complaint. After Vaughn told her she would get in line after unlocking her card, according to the complaint, a short confrontation ensued that ended in Pelech telling Vaughn that she was “not welcome here” and requesting police response.Pelech called 911 about Vaughn, alleging she was being aggressive, trespassing and recording ...

CHP officers chase fleeing driver in South Bay area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

California Highway Patrol officers are chasing a fleeing driver in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County Friday afternoon.The chase began around 2:35 p.m., when the driver failed to yield, according to the CHP. Check back for updates on this developing story.

Ex-LAPD officer sentenced to 6 years in prison for raping woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

A former Los Angeles Police Department officer has been sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of raping a woman while he was off-duty in 2015.William Rodriguez, 37, was found guilty of one charge of forcible rape back in June, and was sentenced on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.He was arrested in July 2019 on multiple counts of sexual assault, including two alleged rapes.Rodriguez, a ten-year LAPD veteran, was taken into custody and immediately relieved of his duties.Rodriguez was identified as the suspect in the rape after authorities received a “cold hit” on his DNA through the Combined DNA Index System, according to the LAPD.Detectives began investigating Rodriguez after a woman came forward to accuse him of rape in 2018. That incident led to the DNA hit tying him to the 2015 incident. Both alleged attacks happened while Rodriguez was off-duty. Former LAPD officer convicted of raping woman after DNA links him ...

Former Councilman Ridley-Thomas May Face 6 Years In Bribery Case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:55 GMT

Former Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas could serve 6 years in prison, as was suggested by federal prosecutors.On March 30, Ridley-Thomas was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery, one count of honest services mail fraud, and four counts of honest services wire fraud.“This was a shakedown,” prosecutors wrote in a 32-page memo. “Not the kind in movies with bags of cash or threats of force. But the kind that is polite and pervasive. The kind that happens too often by sophisticated, powerful people. The kind to which society, sadly, has become so accustomed that it often goes unreported and rarely yields consequences for the offender but strikes a devastating blow to the integrity of our democratic system.”The defendant, Ridley-Thomas, seeks at-home probation with no prison time served.The charges could have amounted to 20 years in federal prison for each fraud count, 10 years for the bribery charge, and another five for the...