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Austin Police congratulate rabbi as new police chaplain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)-- The Austin Police Department pinned and congratulated Rabbi Marie Betcher on her new leadership role as the lead chaplain for APD, the agency confirmed in a tweet Monday.Betcher is the first woman to take on the role, APD said.She will oversee a team of chaplains in the department that provide support to officers.

Hastings strangling charged upped to 1st-degree murder. Pattern of domestic abuse, premeditation alleged.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

A grand jury has indicted a man for first-degree murder, alleging a pattern of domestic abuse and premeditation in the killing of his 36-year-old girlfriend in Hastings.The Dakota County attorney’s office previously charged Kyle Steven Williams, 34, with second-degree murder in the death of Kelly Jo Marie Kocurek. She was found unresponsive, bloody and bruised May 18, 2021, in a room at Coratel Inn and Suites on Vermillion and 25th streets. She was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and was in a coma before dying May 23, 2021, according to a criminal complaint filed against Williams.Kyle Steven Williams (Courtesy of Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)Williams told Hastings police officers that Kocurek strangled herself with a cord, but an autopsy determined her manner of death was homicide. She was also found with numerous traumatic head injuries attributed to physical assault, including bruises on her face, head and ear, in addition to fractures on both sides of her jaw....

South St. Paul Schools IT director resigns after child porn charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

The director of technology for South St. Paul schools resigned last week after he was charged with possessing child pornography at his Hudson home.Investigators searched Paul Michael Brashear’s home on March 6 and found a computer flash drive with hundreds of images of child pornography, according to a criminal complaint filed against the 63-year-old on March 13 in St. Croix County Circuit Court.The school district said in letters it sent to families last week that Brashear was put on administrative leave after his March 6 arrest and that the district is cooperating with law enforcement and other law enforcement agencies. He resigned March 14.The school district said law enforcement “has indicated the allegations against [Brashear] did not appear to occur on district property or any of its district devices.” Brashear’s job was a district office-based position “responsible for the oversight of technology operations and infrastructure and does not have direct or daily contact with stu...

SUNY Schenectady, Ellis Medicine create nursing pipeline program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- SUNY Schenectady and Ellis Hospital have partnered on a new employment program. It offers opportunities for qualified graduates, who are interested in entering the healthcare field. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The program establishes a pipeline for students to further their education in nursing at the Belanger School of Nursing at Ellis and develops paths to employment at the hospital. Participating students will have the opportunity to participate in co-op learning initiatives and/or internships through Ellis Medicine.Officials said similar programs can help alleviate the state's healthcare worker shortage.“We are setting students and graduates up for success and filling a need for qualified healthcare professionals in the community at the same time," Dr. Steady Moono, President of SUNY Schenectady, said in-part. "Ellis Medicine is known for excellent care, compassion, and a commitment to ...

St. Louis County districts implement color-coded system to bolster school safety

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – There are a number of reasons to bolster school safety in modern times. A new school identification effort is underway to increase safety when seconds count.“Whenever there is ever a situation when the police have to respond for a situation, say an active shooter, or the fire department has to respond for a medical condition,” said St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory. “It’s going to help us get to that location quicker.”At Highcroft Ridge Elementary School, a series of numbers are starting to show up inside and out of the school building on the windows and above doorways.“It’s a color-coding system, so it makes sense,” said Paul Tandy, the Parkway School District’s chief communications and emergency management officer. “It’s simple. It’s basically large signage on both the exterior and interior of all the classrooms and on the exterior of the building. So, all the exterior classroom windows are also color coded with the same numbering system, as wel...

Fast food cook sentenced on federal gun charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A fast food cook was sentenced in federal court on Monday after pleading getting to being a felon in possession of a firearm.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois said Tony Ross, 27, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, following by three years of supervised release. Trending: Remains in Crawford County possibly of woman missing since 2014 According to court documents, investigators with the Illinois State Police entered a Jack in the Box restaurant in Collinsville in April 2022 to question Ross on an unrelated matter.Ross, who had a gun hidden in his waistband, attempted to hide the firearm under the deep fryer at the restaurant. At the time, Ross was on parole in Missouri for a 2018 robbery conviction.Federal prosecutors did not indicate if Ross provided a reason for having the gun at the time.

After NIT ouster, Colorado men’s basketball faces offseason uncertainties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

Colorado head coach Tad Boyle calls out to his team against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)Throughout the wild ups and downs of the 2022-23 men’s basketball season, Colorado coach Tad Boyle often relayed that he has never been more excited about the future of his program.That promising future Boyle envisions got a little bit closer on Sunday night, as the Buffaloes officially closed the book on a memorable, though frustrating, 2022-23 season with an 81-69 home loss against Utah Valley in the second round of the NIT.When the Buffs finally return to the court next fall, it will be with a much different team. The process of figuring out exactly what some of those changes might look like will begin later this week when Boyle starts conducting his annual end-of-season, one-on-one meetings with his players.“I’ll do it by the end of this week,” Boyle s...

Trump indictment would be unprecedented moment in U.S. history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

The decision whether to indict former President Donald Trump over hush-money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign lies in the hands of a Manhattan grand jury that has been hearing evidence in secret for weeks.An indictment of Trump, who is seeking the White House again in 2024, would be an unprecedented moment in American history, the first criminal case against a former U.S. president.Law enforcement officials are bracing for protests and the possibility of violence after Trump called on his supporters to protest ahead of a possible indictment.An indictment could also test a Republican Party already divided over whether to support Trump next year, in part due to his efforts to undermine his 2020 election loss.Trump denies any wrongdoing and has slammed the Manhattan district attorney’s office probe as politically motivated.Here’s a look at the hush-money probe, grand jury process and possible ramifications for his presidential campaign:WHAT&...

LAUSD strike looms: Resources for students, parents available

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

Barring an 11th-hour deal, hundreds of thousands of families are bracing for school closures as union employees in the Los Angeles Unified School District plan to go on a three-day strike over wages starting Tuesday.The strike is expected to last from March 21 –23.While many parents worry that the potential school closures will leave them without reliable childcare during the workweek, the school district and Los Angeles County have announced multiple resource efforts to help parents.LAUSD ResourcesWebinar: LAUSD parents were encouraged to join a Zoom webinar at 5:30 p.m. on Monday to learn more about the resources available to them. The Zoom ID is 867 1125 7296 and no passcode is required.Student Supervision: Free student supervision will be provided at select elementary, middle and high schools from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the three-day strike period. A complete list of the schools offering can be found here.Meal Pickup: Families can also pick up meals for students at Grab & G...

Another storm takes aim at rain-soaked Southern California; winds expected to topple trees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:06 GMT

There’s no other way to put it. Another storm is about to hit Southern California.The latest atmospheric river is forecast to bring heavy rain, mountain snow, and potentially damaging wind gusts beginning late Monday night through Wednesday.The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for a wide swath of Southern California from the Mexico border to San Luis Obispo County and the southern half of California’s Central Valley. Winter storm warnings have been issued for mountains in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Interactive Storm Radar NWS is forecasting one to three inches of rain for coastal areas and valleys through Wednesday with 3-6 inches possible in the lower mountains and foothills.“Snow levels will be particularly low, starting at 6,000 feet but dropping to 3,500 to 4,000 feet by Wednesday morning,” said KTLA weather anchor Kacey Montoya.Flood, wind, and winter storm advisories for the storm moving into Southern California. March 20, 2023. (KTLA)Peak wind g...