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Senate moves forward on its plan to create border police force

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) – The Texas Senate gave final approval Wednesday evening to the GOP’s priority immigration legislation, which would create a new state border police force.House Bill 7 would also make it a state crime for migrants to enter the state anywhere but a port of entry, create a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence for human smugglers, and devote $100 million for new detention centers, courts, security and economic development projects for border communities.It’s the most sweeping of a Republican package of bills that aims to stiffen the state’s response to a record number of crossings at Texas’ southern border. It also tests the limits of a state’s authority to enforce immigration laws, which have traditionally been the purview of the federal government.HB 7 initially passed the Senate just after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday — nearly 16 hours after senators entered the chamber Tuesday — on a 19-12 vote along party lines. The bill received final approval on a 19-11 vote Wed...

More than half of leaked water from Monticello nuclear plant recovered, Xcel says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

MONTICELLO, Minn. — More than half of a radioactive isotope that leaked from a pipe at a Minnesota nuclear plant has been recovered, while crews are making “substantial progress” in recovering contaminated groundwater, officials said.The pipe initially leaked in November 2022 at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, allowing 400,000 gallons of water containing tritium to spill. The first leak wasn’t publicly announced until March, after a second leak was discovered at the site of a temporary fix to the first release.Industry experts have said the spill did not threaten public health, despite the monthslong delay in announcing the initial leak.The nuclear plant, which provides more than 500,000 homes with energy, was shut down in March for repairs and cleanup. It was returned to service about a week later. The plant is about 40 miles northwest of the Twin Cities.Monticello city leaders said in a news release Tuesday that Xcel Energy, which owns the plant, has collected 53% o...

Best Buy reports declines in 1Q profits and sales as gadget spending remains weak

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO (AP Retail Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy reported declines in fiscal first-quarter sales and profits as the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain continues to wrestle with a consumer spending slowdown in gadgets.However, the company’s earnings beat Wall Street expectations even as sales were below expectations. Best Buy, based in Minneapolis, affirmed its cautious financial outlook, underscoring continued uncertainty about the broader economic environment and the outlook for consumer electronics spending.Shares rose more than 4% in premarket trading on Thursday.Best Buy’s sales during the depths of the pandemic were fueled by oversized spending by Americans who splurged on gadgets to help them work from home or help their children with virtual learning. Government stimulus checks drove a lot of that spending. But last year, consumers began to pull back from items that were popular during the pandemic like TVs and casual clothing as they became more socia...

Stephentown man accused of construction forgery

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Stephentown man was arrested following a construction forgery investigation. Robert Thomas, 35, faces multiple charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Troopers say that on July 18, 2022, they received a complaint from a Schenectady County resident who said they were a victim of a construction scam. Following an investigation, troopers say they found Thomas was operating under the company name "MZX Construction."In May 2021, troopers say Thomas had a contract with the victim and received payment for a home improvement project. Later in April 2022, Thomas allegedly presented a forged receipt to the victim to show he had ordered building supplies and solicited additional payment. Petersburg man arrested, accused of burglary Troopers say Thomas didn't order any supplies, and by March 2023, the victim had paid him over $23,000. The project hadn't been completed, and he allegedly did not return any...

Pair planning to revive Amsterdam's Emerald Cinemas

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Emerald Cinemas, located at 136 Perth Road in the town of Amsterdam, closed in 2019. This left Amsterdam without a movie theater, with the closest one being the Johnstown Movieplex, about 20 minutes away. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Now, a game store owner and a filmmaker are teaming up to reopen the cinema. Misael Gomez, the owner of Game Jungle in Amsterdam, and Jeff Knite, the President of Dark Knites Entertainment, are planning to rename the theater Dark Knites Cinemas with Game Jungle."We hate traveling 20 to 25 minutes away to go to the theater," said Knite. "It's been four years since we had a theater here and everybody talks about it all the time. We know for a fact if we reopen the theater, people will go. People want something to do." Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant opens in Ballston Spa According to Knite, Gomez's store Game Jungle, currently at 292 East Main Street, will be mo...

Clayton officers save kitten trapped in sewer during downpour

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

CLAYTON, Mo. - Clayton officers helped save a young kitten earlier this month when it was trapped in a sewer during a torrential downpour. The Clayton Police Department tells FOX 2 the cat is named Marty and recovering well after the recent rescue. Police shared a video of the rescue process on Wednesday. Mom: Son with disabilities restrained at school 75 times in four years On May 14, officers responded to a storm drain for Carondelet Plaza. A group of bystanders informed police they heard a meowing sound from the sewer. After officers removed the manhole cover, one officer entered the drain, reached for Marty and carefully handed him to officers. All while battling some pretty intense rainfall. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News SIGN UP NOW "We're h...

St. Louis Revolutionary War battle in St. Charles exhibit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

ST. CHARLES -- Historical Game Company Publishing and St. Charles County partnered to commemorate the Battle of St. Louis in a Revolutionary War Museum Exhibit. According to author and co-curator of the museum exhibit, Stephen L. Kling, Jr., St. Charles County was interested in this story in part because the founder of St. Charles County, Louis Blanchette, was one of the militiamen defending St. Louis when it was attacked.The exhibit is at the St. Charles County Heritage Museum in St. Peters. On Friday, May 26, a series of events will be held throughout the day: Living history displays will immerse people in the past and let them watch reenactments of important events from the American Revolutionary War.At 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., historians will give talks about the historical importance of the exhibit.At 1 p.m., there will be a talk with pictures about how the museum show came to be.During the day, visitors can also take a guided walk of the exhibit to learn more about the Battle of St...

Debt ceiling talks teeter on the brink, as lawmakers leave town for weekend without a deal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES and KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are pushing debt ceiling talks to the brink, displaying risky political bravado as they prepare to leave town Thursday for the holiday weekend just days before the U.S. could face an unprecedented default that could hurl the global economy into chaos.Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he’s directed his negotiating team “to work 24/7 to solve this problem.”Arriving at the Capitol, McCarthy, R-Calif., said that “every hour matters” in talks with President Joe Biden’s team as they work toward a budget deal. Republican are demanding spending cuts the Democrats oppose, and McCarthy said a deal could come together “at any time.” But it’s clear the Republican speaker — who leads a Trump-aligned party whose hard-right flank lifted him to power — is now staring down a potential crisis.Lawmakers are tentatively not expected ba...

Fort Collins schools employee arrested for allegedly hitting kindergartner with disabilities repeatedly on school bus

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

Fort Collins police officers tasked with ensuring safety at schools have arrested a 36-year-old employee who they say repeatedly hit a kindergarten student with disabilities.The police reviewed surveillance video from a school bus, which they said shows paraprofessional Tyler Zanella striking the student on April 25, May 19 and May 22, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the Fort Collins Police Department.Zanella was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Larimer County jail, authorities said.Zanella faces multiple charges of assault and child abuse: three counts of crimes against an at-risk juvenile, three counts of third-degree assault, and three counts of child abuse.“Officers have reason to believe that there may be additional victims,” the police said.Poudre School District officials on Tuesday alerted police to the possible crimes. Police school resource officers began an investigation into the alleged crimes.On Thursday, school district officials could n...

CCS baseball playoff marathon: Santa Teresa outlasts Leland in 14 innings

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:41:47 GMT

The late game at Sollecito Ballpark in Monterey on Wednesday went late into the night as league rivals from the southern end of San Jose played inning after inning without either side scoring.When the breakthrough came, a flood of runs followed.Eighth-seeded Santa Teresa scored eight runs in the top of the 14th inning to beat fourth-seeded Leland 8-0 in the semifinals of the Central Coast Section Division IV playoffs.In the third meeting between the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division teams this season, Santa Teresa prevailed in the rubber match to advance to play second-seeded Palma for the title on Saturday at Excite Ballpark in San Jose.Palma advanced in the first game at Sollecito Ballpark on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over sixth-seeded Salinas.Santa Teresa used two pitchers to cover the 14 innings. Johnny Alvarez went the first seven, allowing three hits and striking out eight. Riley Breton went the final seven, striking out 11 and giving up three hits.They a...